IS: Valkyrie
by VI Intelligence
Summary: Rated M. A man dies and given a chance, is sent to help three people in which the story is given some new turns. Features a normal male, NO IS OC pilot, how will it end? **IMPORTANT, Chapter 34 is up!
1. Death, Rising Above

Infinite Stratos: From Ashes

Author's note: I have some free time to think and watch some shows and came across this one, it looked good if not for the fanservice that this botched up anime turned out to be and I just want to ask you guys if the light novel was like the anime or just a tiny bit different in any way, let me know. Alright I think we know the drill.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Infinite Stratos series, nor do I plan to…seriously they give older women bigger boobs. Bigger boobs, it's like some crazy obsession I tell you.

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><p>From Death<p>

"So this is what it means to die."

There is nothing here, no light nor signs of life…an endless void that seemed to creep up on my body as I laid there feeling emptiness apart from a reflective look upon my face as small slots of memories began to play in front of me, my frown simply deepened as I continued to look at my surroundings as if I expected someone to suddenly drag me out of this lonely place…anyone I knew in my life that could just take me by the hand and guide me towards a light and tell me that it was all a dream, or better yet that this was not happening and I was in a coma. The first memory popped in front of me, filling the void with a large white flash as I saw the light die down as quickly as it appeared before I found myself standing in a large living room with wooden boards making up the floor and a familiar set of black leather sofas sitting in front of a simple television while a small rectangular wooden table sat in the middle of the two sofas, a set of tea bags and a steaming mug of tea sat on the surface warming the wood when I swept my hand over the oak but the wafting trail of steam caught my eye. It wasn't floating up into vapor but instead it was…frozen, not like ice but real steam hanging in mid-air with no swirls or smoky trails continuing to billow from the cup. I recognized the furniture though, that made up the interior of me and my parents' living room, my hands fell immediately to my chest as I clutched my blood-stained school shirt by the collar tugging it weakly as I felt my mind being blocked from remembering.

"Mother? Father?" I asked timidly, my brain grimaced at the last word before I shook the dreaded feeling off and began to walk down the small hallway hearing tiny whispers beginning to sound in my eardrums as I made my way to my kitchen, the voices starting to increase in volume the closer I walked to the room.

_Amasa…_

_Amasa…_

"Who's there?" I turned around, the voices retreating into the corner of my mind as sweat poured down my slightly tanned skin. Seeing no one, I waited for a few moments to hear for any movements or sudden noises almost like the horror game videos I saw youtubers playing but found nothing…much to my relief. My focus coming back to me after that distraction, my hand reached out and curled over the silvery knob.

_Amasa…_

I felt the house grow cold as a chill came down my spine, my hand slowly turning the knob to the right while I heard the distinct click of the door being unlocked and I hesitantly opened the door to the room.

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><p>"<em><strong>You useless boy!" <strong>_

_**Slap!**_

_**Amasa tumbled to the ground, his hand instantly covering his cheek as he felt a swell forming on his flesh as he tried to push himself up only to have a foot slam itself directly onto his ribcage, the child let out a cough as his eyes widened in shock from the sudden attack before he reared his head back on the hard tiled floor a weak hand reaching out to a fallen figure shrouded by the towering shadow of the unknown assailant who simply chuckled at the child's useless resistance.**_

"_**Really now, you couldn't get me anything…not a single packet of smokes?!" The man yelled in Amasa's ear as he leaned over Amasa, the child tilted his head refusing to look at the man above him as the foot grinded itself into his chest the 15 year old whimpering pathetically.**_

"_**Useless! Useless!" He screamed while simultaneously kicking the boy into unconsciousness, Amasa unable to fight back as the 15 year old boy felt the shoe slam repeatedly into his chest squeezing the breath out of him with each blow. Struggling once more, Amasa placed his palms on the ground and tried to lift himself only to see a fist drive straight into his eye making him howl out to no avail, instead making the shadow angrier with each scream as a flurry of punches rained down on the boy pummeling his body with knuckles and blood pouring out of his nose and mouth, the sheer force of the blows almost made a pool as the poor child felt numbness in his arms and chest as well as his shallow breaths being the only sound in the kitchen while the monster took his own rest, preparing for the next bout and glaring furiously at the broken child nursing his bruises.**_

"_**Some son you are, you're no son of mine!" Amasa stared up at the monster, his young child-like eyes refusing to believe what he was hearing and seeing as he felt another punch drive into his right eye smashing his head against the tiled floor for the umpteenth time tonight, bruising his eye and causing him to see white for a few moments before a foot slammed unto his knee causing him to cry out in pain before a slap silenced his timid screams for help, but Amasa chose to resist.**_

"_**Help, someone help me…" He called out weakly, the tip of a shoe met his cheek and the force behind the kick sent the child's body rolling onto his chest. Amasa took only a breath before he was dragged roughly by the scruff of his neck and flung onto his back, taking another slap across his face.**_

"_**You were going to rat me out, your own father? It doesn't matter, because even if you aren't here and child services take you away from me, I have your mother all to myself." The man simply spoke eerily calm, the boy tensed his muscles as he felt a shiver down his spine before he weakly turned his head upwards from the side and stared at the shadow above. The monster seemed to revel in that statement as he sneered madly at the powerless child before him, the eyes losing its defiant stare as Amasa began to understand what the monster wanted and gritted his teeth at the creature. "You know what, it's better if you actually rat out my actions and leave me and your mother to our own fun. Won't be the same without you bleeding and near death of course, but nevertheless it will be equally fun for me."**_

"_**Leave…Mother…out of this." He was replied with another slap, this time much stronger than the last sending his face smacking the floor once more, his cheek beginning to sore before the monster leaned over him, Amasa froze as his ear felt a tickle of hot breath against his ear, Amasa instantly panicking as he heard a strange sound coming from the man. **_

"_**You know, I hate defiant people." Amasa shivered when he heard the sound much more clearly, his left eye widening as he hastily looked to his left and right newfound strength returning to the child as he tried to use his palms to escape, only for a shoe to slam on his hand eliciting a scream from the child before a one hand grasped his mouth to shut him up. The monster of a man simply waited until Amasa's muffled words died in his parched throat before he resumed his earlier action, a hand going to his pant zipper while he watched the child's blue and bruised red eyes stare in horror as he shook his head.**_

"_**Defiant people…" He paused before he dug his hand into the forbidden territory of his pants, the child continued to struggle rapidly ignoring the burning sensations of his weakened body demanding that he stay still and recover from his injuries, the boy placing his only free hand onto the shoe trying desperately to shove it away as he heard the voice speak again, his eyes looking back up at emotionless blank ones. **_

"_**Should be punished."**_

"_**No…NO!" Amasa screamed in terror and refusal, his feet kicked wildly at the hands that fell upon his school uniform while he continued to resist a wild punch in between struggles, his belt coming undone in a fluid motion from the monster. Now screaming for his life, Amasa continued to kick and slap away the hands rapidly not caring for anything else before the shadow decided that it was enough and with a quick motion brought the belt of the young boy above his head, chuckling madly before it whipped Amasa's hand and the boy retracted his hand before he clutched the buckle of the black pants pulling it off violently.**_

"_**Stop this!" Amasa pleaded now, his strength leaving him as his forceful kicks now slowed down to pats against the man's stronger arms which tore the zipper of his son's pants and gripped the waistband of the child's pants and boxers, pulling it down with a single motion exposing the boy's most secret area to the world. Amasa found himself slowly losing consciousness as he stopped struggling against his father, instead turning his head to the side to at least avoid looking at the monster as he performed his devious act. But unfortunately it would not be so. **_

_**A hand grasped his head and spun it upwards to face the man who was grasping something dark and tall in his own hand, like a tower that seemed to scream power upon the young innocent child as the man took in Amasa's own terrified look before he spoke the next words in a sadistic tone.**_

"_**Now let's make you squeal." He spoke as his other hand took the boy's throat and lifted the child up in the air, the boy unable to speak nor take his eyes off the tower before a woman's voice shrilled behind him, stunning the man and Amasa who turned his head weakly towards the figure still on the floor, the shadow of the man disappearing to reveal a grown woman in her 20s struggling to stabilize herself on her hands and knees a fist on the floor breathing heavily in ragged breaths. Blood ran from a head wound and covered half of her face as her exposed arms carried the scars of many other 'accidents' to which her mother would always tell him whenever her son would notice it, the boy soon grew up to know that those scars were not from falling down or even slipping the kitchen knife. He knew soon that something was wrong with the household, everything about it was messed and his father…well his father was not a happy guy and whenever Amasa pranked him, the man would scowl and go up calling his mother as he did so. When they were done, he went back down calm as a feather and would do what he normally did while his mother would take a few minutes to even get ready and come downstairs, and Amasa would remember that when she did he would notice her shivering and her hands would quake without warning especially when he surprised her and she jumped, screaming incoherent things. Now he knew, and knowing his father's pattern this wouldn't be the end of the night.**_

_**"What did you just say to me, bitch?" He muttered, stalking towards his mother like a predator about to swallow his prey before he raised the belt in the air and brought it down...**_

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><p>The white flash disappeared, leaving nothing but the kitchen in place of the memory as Amasa looked at the room with a displeased look on his face. He recognized it, the memory was a stain upon his life he could never erase nor forget so easily…it sickened him still, knowing what his father planned to do with him but his mother managed to stop the madman from finishing his task.<p>

At what cost?

"_You are truly a boy of tragedy, Amasa."_ Amasa felt his body shiver as he looked around the room, his eyes frantically scanning the kitchen before he moved towards the knife rack that hung on the wall his hand reaching to grab the handle of the biggest one, only to fall into despair when he realized his fingers were not gripping the wooden handle but going through it. The young teen felt his body shift as though the small portal-like wall was trying to suck him in, the young man gripping his hand which was still passing through the wall and with a violent tug pulled his limb back quickly and took a look for any wounds, sighing in relief that he still had his fingers in place before he addressed the roof of the kitchen a slight quiver in his voice.

"Who are you?"

"_This memory is the earliest of your train of abuse that would haunt you for the next 5 years of your life, each one more horrid than the last _

"Are you God?" He questioned, his feeling mixed with a sense of curiosity and yet caution of the voice that addressed him directly before a soft whisper echoed through the room once more in response.

"_I am. And you are Amasa, a word that is detestable as a name. You are also the victim of abuse in your own household, and your father's final victim just as you died by his hand…a bloodstained shirt and your heart pierced."_ The voice spoke softly, almost like a father addressing his child and Amasa couldn't help but feel safe in the presence of this strange entity. Turning around, he tried to look for the source of the voice but to no avail as he only met the walls of his haunting memory, a feeling of weightiness and sorrow gripping him as he placed a hand over his chest wound and looked.

"Ugh!" He could only gag as he stared at the small hole carved carelessly and without precision into his body with pieces of skewered meat still hanging onto the clumps of the torn shirt, the amount of torn flesh around the killing blow was plentiful he lost count at how many stab wounds he took to his chest when he was still alive Amasa simply slipped a finger through the hole feeling the depth of the abuse his body took after death, the teenager snorted in disgust as he dug the rest of his fingers through the small hole and felt around for his target before he felt his fingers wrap around something squishy, his finger tracing the surface to find a tiny open slit as his fist began to tighten around the organ…

"_Enough, you do not need to see it. Know that even when you died, your father would face the charges he has avoided for a long time."_ Amasa felt his hand stop, the teen removing a bloodied hand from his chest with his face crestfallen at his own life. His sorrow turned back to thought, he was dead here and talking with God…a God that was all powerful and someone who could create miracles through prophets and men he chose for his will! An entity that he thought long never existed as years went by, when years of prayers for his father to turn from his ways had no signs of progress and in fact his father would instead grow much more violent each day…and now he says that his father, for all he did would finally face the music when he killed his own son? It made no sense to Amasa, God was supposed to be able to protect people wasn't he…he was supposed to be an almighty God who could do anything and prevent anything from happening, and now he is dead his father would get the punishment that he deserves? All these thoughts began to bubble to the surface, his mind churning with the thought of his mother's grief-stricken face when she saw her husband pounce on Amasa when he finally had enough of the years of fear.

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><p>"<em><strong>I control you, I OWN you." <strong>_

"_**You've been anything but a father to me!" Amasa yelled back at his father, seeing the older man red-faced and angry gave the teen some confidence as he continued to taunt his father, clenching his fists at his sides. They had just gotten back from a trip, and as per usual his father had gotten angry at something trivial back at the cashier's and again he would try to take it out on his punching bag…except Amasa was more grown up and stronger. The two didn't say anything when they got back from the supermarket and it was only until the door closed behind them did they get into an argument with his father being petty and Amasa just shooting back at his father with sarcastic replies and insults.**_

_**Which led to the current situation at hand, Amasa gripped his fist in anger as his father continued to berate his uselessness and being nothing but a burden.**_

"_**You don't understand yet, you aren't my son! You're a spawn from that whore of a woman that you can still call mother!"**_

"_**Is that what you think? Huh? You think my mother's a whore and that even with her apologies and crying, you would forgive her! The Bible said-"His father lost it at that, his reddening cheeks already getting redder and his anger spewing out like venom as he emphasized his thoughts with a wad of spit in front of his son.**_

"_**FUCK THE BIBLE! It's nothing to me, you can take that preacher's garbage and swallow it like you always did…you are just like your mother, a whore!" Amasa was losing his cool as he noticed the knife rack behind his father, the teen fighting the urge to not start a fight as he found himself drawn towards the knife rack as his father continued to berate and insult him further, spit flying in all directions from the man's rotten mouth and onto Amasa's face before he glared at his father and spun on his heel much to the older man's shock.**_

"_**Where the hell do you think you're going?" Amasa simply turned back and glared at his 'father' before speaking once more, this time in a furious tone as he stepped towards his father and sized him up speaking as he did so.**_

"_**Where do you think? My room, because I just realized something after all these years of living with someone like you. You are not even a real man, you're a person who got hurt many years ago by your own dad who probably hit you and used you as a sex toy whenever he got frustrated, and you're repeating the damn cycle over to two people you don't actually know except that one is your son and the other is your wife. You thought you could just walk over us and exert authority and have the right to throw your weight and fist around, just to puff up your cheeks and have no action to back up your spineless hide!" Amasa jabbed a finger into his father's chest, seeing the older man shrink back slightly from the teen's outburst fed his confidence as Amasa looked into the man's eyes and saw nothing but fear before he turned and walked towards the kitchen door.**_

"_**You don't deserve my respect." Amasa stated plainly before he opened the door and walked away, or he would have had he not noticed his father grab a knife from the rack and was rushing at him with a maddened look on his face.**_

"_**YOU DARE WALK AWAY FROM ME?!" Amasa did not manage to react in time, the blade sinking into his chest as he tumbled backwards taking his dreadful father down with him while a wide-eyed expression of shock and horror crossed Amasa's face before he was punched across the face once again, feeling the fist collide on a weaker strike compared to his earlier years before the knife retracted, spilling blood on the teenager turning young adult's face with the spots of blood before the knife carved into another spot near the initial stab wound and was retracted and stabbed again. And again. And again.**_

_**Amasa stopped moving after the 20th strike, the light that illuminated his eyes...telling people that he was alive, was dimming and Amasa could not even speak let alone move his body as a coldness set into his veins, chilling his numb body even though he could not feel it. And as he expired, his father's face constantly diving in front of him and screaming bloody murder and plenty of other things that could have been insults he heard soft echoes coming from the hallway before he heard the distinct sound of something dropping and he tilted his head further backwards, a pang of guilt hitting his heart.**_

_**His mother standing there, her dress already creased and worn fluttered helplessly in the air as she had her hands over her head, mouth agape and a strange eerie ringing in his ears as he saw her slide to her knees and tear at fistfuls of her ruined ebony hair while unable to move or react accordingly, watching helplessly and screaming as his body shook again for the 25th count and Amasa closed his eyes.**_

_**"So this is what...it means to die."**_

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><p>Where was he? Where was God when he was being attacked? He wanted to know why his father could have just disappeared and never return to their lives, it was a better end to it than him lying on the ground bleeding. God could have stepped in to save him right then, he figured at least…he could have even prevented this from happening, something to at least keep his father at bay with some legal tape or chance that he was discovered stabbing his own son to death.<p>

Amasa wanted to scream, yell, throw something or maybe just rip up paper to rid himself of these vile thoughts. He had just became a Christian, much to the chagrin of his father who of course spat in the face of religion and believed in being self-righteous and followed the Hindu teachings of being free to do whatever you wished. Whether that teaching existed or not, Amasa never cared so much for it. He knew of self-control, and that if he was dealing with God he had to tread carefully with what he said, but yet something continuously bugged him.

Why didn't his family abuse stop? He was sure his father knew when to stop, there were times when he would stop in later years and forget hitting he and his mother instead wandering around for days on end without coming home at all. Those times were the only shreds of peace he ever had with his mother, where the two of them would try their best to come out of their respective shells and actually say or spend time with one another despite the awkwardness of separation the abuse created. Amasa just wanted those days again, no father, just his mother and him living together with a divorce certificate to remind them of the chance they were given at a better life.

But complaining about it was useless in its own regard, he was already dead…he had nothing to return to except the afterlife of heaven or hell, whichever he was regarded to belong in. A part of him did want revenge or with his current situation demand answers to why this wasn't resolved sooner, or maybe a different parent would have sufficed. But even then his reasoning prevailed over his thoughts as he curled his fingers into fists while he eyed the ceiling, hearing the voice once more speaking in an elaborate tone.

"_The truth of the matter is that your father had multiple chances to stop, when I created you I always gave my creations the split-second time limit, a moment in time where your instincts do pause in its behavior when you're about to do something I do not approve of. Take it as a pocket moment, where your instincts or your spirit win the argument of whether to proceed with whatever you planned to do or just stop. Each and every time I gave him that chance, he didn't take the path of retracting his hand and saying sorry…and those chances were wasted when he began to reject my salvation." _The voice spoke sadly, a kind tone still underlying his words as Amasa noticed the surrounding house fading away before his eyes, the teenager unable to even respond as he took time to process this, feeling a sliver of anger still residing inside of him but he pushed it away to the back of his mind as he addressed the voice.

"So what now? This is the time where you pick whether I go to heaven or hell."

"_Not picking, it had been decided where you were going to go from your actions alone. You were one of a kind, hardly anyone has the same kind of heart you have for others, yet you were also aware of your limits to what you can do and did not attempt to misuse your kindness. If anything you were helpful and despite maybe a lie or two, you always were ready to correct your mistake. But instead of the afterlife, I have a proposal for you if you're interested in hearing it."_

"You know my heart since you made it, I am a man who's interested yet curious." Amasa said firmly, his personal feelings put aside for this sudden turn of events as he heard the voice speak again at him from above the dark abyss.

"_Excellent, there is a world…not your Earth, but one of many. This world is connected to yours in a way, but the technology is much more advanced than yours. I should warn you that if you should undertake this mission it will mean that you are willing to live another life, instead of your time coming to an abrupt end."_ The voice elaborated further on the task, Amasa now raised his eyebrows at that with only little intrigue before the omnipotent entity mentioned one last statement.

"_A family of two, siblings, are about to lose the only family they have left. Their parents and a third are elsewhere on their own path, but I fear destruction of these three children that I ask of you whether you would choose to take on the guise of yet another name and life in order to save them from this path they walk."_ Amasa had to pause at that, his interest piqued further by the proposal's mention of family and he held his forehead with a groan as a headache came to him.

"_**I CONTROL YOU, I OWN YOU…and there is nothing you can do about it."**_

"Ow…sorry, memory is a pain."

"_Understandable, but do not let your memory become something that bogs you down as a person, never let this weigh you down. I can tell that you know what I know what you are going to say to this."_ Amasa smiled widely at that, indeed he was interested to see where this would go as a feeling of something poking in the back of his head alerted him to turn around. He did so as his smile curved downwards at the sight of the house where he lived closing his eyes tightly as a torrent of memories flooded him before he opened them, and stared ahead again, straight into a picture of him as a young boy during his childhood with a dark-haired man with his face obscured and a short-haired woman with tired baggy eyes holding a thinly veiled smile, the teenager feeling a sense of sadness as he remembered his dear mother who looked upon him with shocked and tear-ridden eyes before he turned his back on the picture and looked ahead at a flash of white which overcame him, the teenager simply muttering out,

"From ashes, I am reborn again in the fire of life."

[Break]

Chapter 2

Darkness, bleak and suffocating darkness met his eyes when he awoke next to the new life he was given. Black, nothing but black inky darkness swallowing up all source of light in the world outside except only dimly lighting the roof of the large space below, the abyss was strong in this sanctuary of artificial night. Amasa groaned, his hands waving out and in front of his face by inches while his vision continued to swim groggily like a hangover with too much light…not that he managed to experience it due to other problems in his own house, the teen sighed as he felt cold concrete meet his back and head and his eyes though slightly blurry made its way up to see a sliver of light barely coating the room with color. Amasa didn't have to guess where he was, he was in a warehouse by the obvious structure pattern of a small stretch of boring rectangular windows from one end to another on either side of the building's stretch with the windows placed vertically, a horrible piece of warehouse architecture in Amasa's opinion and definitely the reason why warehouses are such good covers for shady activities. Amasa simply sighed as he flipped himself forwards on the balls of his feet, landing perfectly with his hands placed in front of his face as he stretched his back first the feeling of being on the floor for an extended period of time was straining for him, especially being the first day as…not Amasa.

"Huh, well that was quick. I expected something flashier or stranger, like being in front of people in the middle of a street butt-naked and next thing I know crying for pants with tears down my eyes."

"I heard something! Secure the building!" Amasa had to sigh deeply, rubbing the bridge of his nose in silence as he looked to his left where he assumed the door to the large space was while he whined at the ceiling.

"Oh merciful God, what have I wished for?" He muttered as he moved towards the darker corners of the building, his hands feeling for an escape route or a door that he could open as he heard one set of clacking boots. Tracing his hand along the wall, he stopped short when he felt a cold sensation grace his fingertips sending small shivers in his nerves while he heard the distinct sound of metal moving before he grabbed it in his left hand, the darkness making it harder to identify the object but his hand smoothly running up the handle indicated it to be a metal lead pipe of some sorts. Hearing the faint footsteps growing louder to his left, the teenager knelt down in a half-kneel holding the pipe upwards by his side as he saddled himself up against the wall his breathing becoming shallow while he tried to keep the noise level to a white noise.

"It came from here, I'm sure of it." A female voice rang out from the darkness before the sound of a door being swung open echoed through the building as a bunch of footsteps echoed into the space, the clack of weapons made Amasa's spirits sink further as he rubbed the bridge of his nose again. Great, he was revived and now he was most likely going to be killed by Special Forces from an unknown organization he never heard of in a place he never thought he would see. Well, at least he had a coat to wear if he was found dead by the authorities-wait, he's wearing a coat?

"Search the area thoroughly and leave nothing uncovered, we need this place for the hostage when our men arrive to put the plan in place." At that Amasa felt intrigued, his curious mind now being piqued by what he just heard as he clutched the lead pipe tightly around his right palm. Hostage? What hostage are they planning to bring here and what is the significance of this pris-blackmail material going to affect? Whatever it was, his mission to help the siblings could wait until he found out what's going on and, if the circumstances call for it, help out the hostage or perhaps the hostage-takers. Thinking that, Amasa kept himself hidden from the sight of the mysterious armed strangers wandering the space for a round, the teen actually hearing steps approaching his position as he took up the lead pipe in his hands. Seeing a pair of black boots coming out of the corner of the wall, he immediately readied himself as he saw a silhouette appear out and out stepped a woman armed with a sub-machine gun dressed in the most revealing battlesuit he ever saw, the fabric was tight-fitting like a typical sports suit but without the pant leggings instead replaced by a one-piece shirt that barely stretched over the inner thigh leaving almost nothing to imagination. Strapped to her right thigh were two pockets which were bulky and significant as he saw the soldier trace a finger onto the thigh pockets, furthering his own suspicions that it was ammo from its bulky shape noting her strokes on the pockets with a shiver made Amasa nervous. The woman also appeared well-trained, her stance was not that of a local thug parading with a gun but a professional stance of legs slightly apart in front of the other, a typical lesson taught to soldiers that ensured perfect balance between aiming and moving as well as cutting down the time for both actions. Not noticing him yet, the black-haired woman glanced in his direction for a brief second before she turned away and carrying on her way, Amasa spinning the lead pipe in hand as he shot out from his corner and made his way behind the girl.

"Sorry for this." Muttering the words caught the girl off her guard, a hand covering her mouth as her assailant brought the lead pipe to her back jamming it into her suit to show he meant business before the girl became silent, Amasa using his armed hand to tap the girl's wrist watching the gun clatter softly to the floor as he heard the footsteps disappear in the short distance. Amasa waited patiently as the door slammed behind them leaving them alone, a perfect opportunity presenting itself for him to get some answers as he tightened his grip and hissed at the trained soldier to keep silent. Now that the coast was clear did the young man make his move, taking the young woman to the same corner he was hiding in and putting her up against the wall twisting her head towards his face as he gave her a harsh 'shh' as a signal to be quiet. Satisfied when she did not resist, he nodded and removed his hand from her mouth letting her breathe before he gripped her throat and pushed her against the wall his pipe keeping distance between him and the soldier, her wide black eyes staring at him defiantly.

"You're a soldier, bad choice of uniform but a soldier. I want to ask you some questions and if I find them satisfactory, I will knock you out and leave you alive. Play the guessing game of who's the hostage with me and I will drive the sharp end of this pipe into your gut and call the police and ambulance to my vicinity. Do we understand one another?" Seeing the soldier nod slowly, coughing up air a bit as she shifted nervously against his grip on her windpipe while Amasa used the pipe to tap along her thigh, tapping the surface of a walkie-talkie strapped to her leg as static crackled to life.

"Bravo 4, this is Team Leader. Respond." The soldier simply glanced at the walkie-talkie with Amasa before she noticed the man press his face against hers, allowing her a glimpse of crimson red eyes glaring into her black ones as he uttered the words to her face without uncertainty and the faint indication of a threat.

"Call. Them. Off." He said as he released her throat, unhooking the walkie-talkie while jabbing the pipe into her abdomen slitting the fabric slightly but not seriously to cause injury as he fumbled with the strap, finally feeling it drop into his hand did he scoop it up and bring the device to her mouth jabbing the pipe once more with a glare as he clicked the on button.

"…Team Leader, this is Bravo 4."

"Where the hell are you? The prisoner is about to arrive anytime now, and we need to get into our IS suits for mobilization." The soldier looked again at Amasa who just gave an apologetic look in return and indicated his head to the device once more, the girl answering back crisply.

"I am at the bathroom."

"Again? This is the fourth time, May! Don't screw this up because of your bladder problems and get to your suit as soon as you can! Team Leader out." The woman sighed as the device dropped to the floor and Amasa decided to move on the offensive, beginning his interrogation for information.

"I haven't managed to begin introducing myself, my name is Anastasio Merle and I am an interested party called to investigate a small disturbance here. I snuck in here to check things out and as it turns out, you're in here armed to the teeth with weaponry which is already a capital offense now tell me: why are you here? Who is this hostage your captain is speaking of, and why now?" Amasa questioned tensely, his fingers wrapping around her throat again pinning her against the wall as the soldier coughed out air and spit before she found her voice.

"Our s-standin-g or-ders, *cough* *cough* are none o-of your business *hack*, stranger!"

"I see, you wish to play defiant with me I guess…anyways, I don't need you anymore. I have all the information I could ever need." Anastasio stated coldly as he released his grip on the girl and retracted the lead pipe, grabbing the radio as he did so and stared at the girl intently before he spun on his heel and walked towards the sub-machine gun and picked it up, sliding the sling onto his shoulder testing the weight.

"I didn't tell you anything." The soldier declared stubbornly, refusing to let this man get the best of her. First he manages to take her down and threaten her, next he's showing mercy to her after she tells him a sentence that gives away nothing? The soldier felt like she was being toyed with, the man simply turning his back to face her and walked away…big mistake.

"Don't you walk away from me!" She yelled as she sped towards the well-armed man, a combat knife sliding from her boot strap into her hand as she charged the mysterious stranger from behind. However, Anastasio surprised her by spinning to his right and in a quick motion brought the sub-machine gun to rest at his hip pointed directly at her, flicking the safety catch while he held his finger on the trigger with a look that dared her to try it, the woman suddenly froze on the spot like a deer in the headlights as her body began to stop responding at the barrel of the readied weapon pointing at her. Anastasio paused momentarily before he pulled the trigger.

**Bang!**

The girl flinched immediately and her eyes squeezed shut in fear hearing the bullets penetrate the concrete wall instead as the stranger aimed the gun off course at the last possible second, Anastasio taking the woman's fear to the advantage as he sprinted, dropping the gun to his hip and charging at the woman and with all the strength he could muster, slammed the metal pipe directly into the soldier's stomach causing her eyes to widen in pain before an elbow to the back of her neck sent her sprawling onto the floor unconscious as he glared at the fallen figure with a look of hatred.

"Don't you test me." He spat before he turned and carried on, dropping the lead pipe while he checked the magazine of the sub-machine gun and slotted it back in again. Moving towards the soldier, he gripped the underside of her arms and moved the woman to the corner which he hid in and laid her body securely on the floor making a mental note to take her with him later as he picked up the ammo strap from her thigh and attached it to his own, the young man now relaxing as he picked up the walkie-talkie and sat by the soldier setting the comm unit at his side while he began to sing.

_Sticks and stones may build a home,_

_But a house it needs you inside._

_So come on around and we'll stoke on the fire,_

_And we'll talk in its gold and black light._

"This is Bravo Team. We're in position for acquisition of the hostage."

_When your work is over, head round to mine,__  
><em>

_Or we could meet in a second hand shop__  
><em>

_Where I saw your face for__ the first time_

"We have the child, moving to the warehouse interior now."

Anastasio continued to sing as he tapped his feet in rhythm to the non-existent music ringing in his ears, his eyes falling to his new 'charge' as he took in her proper appearance in the darkness. She had raven black hair, stretching to her lower back while a small navy blue hairclip sat on the left of her hair donning a stereotypical Japanese cat face seen in cartoons smiling meekly to emphasize maximum cuteness. He noted the bleak eyes she held that broke its hold on her when he pulled the gun out and fired behind her, now closed and asleep like a baby angel…Anastasio kept his hands free off her he would not like to be caught caressing a grown woman.

"Bravo 4 has gone dark in the warehouse, I repeat Bravo 4 has gone dark! Someone's in the warehouse!" Anastasio jumped to his feet, his hand holding the comm unit to his ear as he felt panic rise in his throat.

"What? How, we were talking to her not too long ago!"

"Her vital signs just went into concussion, we can assume someone has infiltrated the building, the child is compromised! Abandon the warehouse, Bravo Team!" The voice commanded over the chatter, disrupting whatever silence that was left for the teen as he immediately stashed the walkie-talkie to his coat pocket and turning back to the unconscious body, scooped the soldier up in his arms as he made his way out hearing the chatter grow increasingly panicky as he took a right turn out of the main room and down the hallway hearing various orders being tossed around.

"The child has to come with us, we can't leave him!"

"_Him?"_

"No time, if this person is armed with an IS there is no telling the damage. And the fact that **she's** already searching…" The voice of the leader trailed off before the authoritative voice yelled back into the comm unit, dismissing all interruptions.

"Enough! We have to take the girl or Squall will not be pleased!"

"_Squall, a name finally…so she's the one who authorized this kidnapping, but a child is the worst kind of blackmail anyone should ever have to experience."_ Anastasio thought to himself as he quickly paced through the hallway, a grim thought surfacing to his mind as he looked down at the girl in his arms. _"I do not know anything similar of a sort to that kind of thing, I was after all…the victim of a murder by my own flesh and blood."_

"Of course, Lady Autumn…girls we are extracting the prisoner to home base! I repeat, retreat to home base immediately! Blow up the warehouse and wipe out the third party!" Anastasio quickened into a run, his eye catching sight of a set of doors to his left as he ran towards a window overlooking the concrete space and fence that surrounded the building, Anastasio hastily kicked the doors open and made his way into what he assumed was the main hall judging by the abandoned wooden counter secured in a semi-circular cubicle with plastic and glass surrounding the entirety of it while a few rusted broken seats lying at the wall.

"What about May, sir? She could still be in there."

"We have no choice, burn her with the rest of the warehouse. She was weak and easily caught off guard by an elite, Phantom Task has no place for such individuals." The team leader's voice coldly cut the stale air as radio silence followed shortly, Anastasio simply shook his head in silent sympathy for the unconscious soldier before he rushed towards the door and using all his strength kicked open the door-

"Target is in position! Ready to fire!"

"This is Bravo Team Leader, fire!"

"Oh Shi-" Anastasio could only utter as an explosion threw him and the girl sailing through the air, the man losing his grip on May as he watched her tumble violently onto the floor a few feet away as he followed soon after using his hands in front of his face in a cross block, his body thumping and skidding onto the concrete floor Anastasio feeling the concrete debris fly into his hands, a few pieces embedding themselves into his exposed wrists as his block weakened and crumbled onto the floor for the rest of the fall, the sub-machine gun clattering away from him as he groggily staggered to his feet his vision blurry while he held an outstretched arm towards the bleeding soldier who took some internal damage from the fall, but once again life decided to play its hand.

Anastasio reached out to grip the girl…

4

A strange shadow appeared behind him causing him to turn around…

3

He didn't know what he saw, but it looked like a woman in control of some sort of mobile suit that seemed to cover everything but her chest making it a disadvantageous suit.

2

He saw the large gun aimed directly at him, before it moved up to May's body with cold precision. Anastasio suddenly widened his eyes as he tried to moved towards the body, a sudden spray of machine gun fire stopped him in his tracks as he fell over face first.

1

He tried one last time to reach for the girl before a large light blinded his vision, and suddenly an explosive shockwave knocked his body a few feet away from where May was hitting his head hard on the concrete tar road, blood pouring out from his face as his world went to black, the ringing sound of shellshock hit a wave of nausea in his throat before he passed out.

Hours later…

Anastasio felt the world stir, his mind was slow and groggy like a truck had hit him as he opened his eyes slowly adjusting to the glare of white light invading his vision, the glare hitting his eyes and getting a groan of irritation from the young man as he struggled to get up only to be held down by pairs of gloved white hands securing his limbs from moving, it's action instead had the opposite intent as Anastasio's instincts kicked in and he tried to free his hands.

"Hold him down, now! He's in a panic!"

"We need him alive, stat! Somebody get me-" The voice slowly trailed off as Anastasio felt his chest tighten considerably, strangling his efforts to remotely breathe before he felt a needle prick his skin the numbness of his body and ears made it difficult for him to know what was going on, but before he passed out he tilted his head back and saw a figure standing over him dressed in a battlesuit similar to that of the girl May but she had shoulder length slightly ruffled hair and brown eyes staring at him blankly. Anastasio knew that look well, it was one he wore a lot in his younger days towards his friends whenever he went to school…a mask of pretense that only saw the world as a black era in his life, but yet he could tell that the weathered look was falsified to look that way instead of genuine anger at the world. A look of strength, perhaps…one he had hoped to wear if he could in this life. But for now, he offered a look of sadness before he muttered a word in passing.

"Valkyrie…"

End

This is two chapters in one, one big package for you to enjoy. I am taking many tasks on because of my interest, but the fact of the matter is that my skill peaked with Anarchy and the Detective and honestly I hope to have a work that is close behind it in skill and perhaps writing. If possible I would appreciate you readers to give at least some feedback on how my works turned out so far, it is appreciated.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy this double whopper story and make sure to let me know if I need any improvements.

Chiao and have a great January of the new year!


	2. A Kidnapping Prevented, Who are you

IS: Valkyrie

Author's Notes: Hi Hi, this is NapoleonVI and yes, I'm not changing the name…for now. Anyways here is chapter 3, from the perspective of Ichika's abduction and also expect a sudden switch in POV to 3rd person.

For those of you who are interested in the lyrics of the song, check out youtube and search out Ben Cocks 'Build a home'. It really gives you a morbid feel.

I do not own Infinite Stratos the animation nor its novelization, if I did I would add less girls and a bit more fighting to be done…and seriously, stop with the fanservice already creators of Infinite Stratos. I do not like overwhelming fanservice, you can jerk off to your fantasies later and just get on with the whole story damn it!

In this story and new universe, our OC is 21 while Chifuyu is 23. Ichika is also 13 years of age in this time period.

Chapter 3

* * *

><p><strong>Ichika POV<strong>

He felt cold, the feeling of wind blowing wildly against his face as his eyes began to flicker like blinking lights his head feeling lightheaded as he blinked his eyes for another set, his vision beginning to clear but it was still black when he tried to look at his surroundings everywhere he turned. Feeling slightly lucid, he tried to move his hands to get rid of whatever he had blocking his eyes but turned to confusion and slowly panic as he shifted his arms and hands against rope that bound his wrists behind his back, the middle school student continued to struggle against his restraints before a fist collided with his cheek sending his head crashing to the floor with muffled screams before he thrashed around again, another fist rounding on his face to put him down.

"Calm down, the boy's weak anyways he won't be any trouble. Let him thrash around for a bit, he'll know soon enough how useless he is." A grown man's voice commanded as Ichika heard a fist cut through the air and stopped just above his cheek, the boy simply whimpered slightly to the amusement of the grown man who just chuckled at the whimpering teen struggling uselessly against his binds.

"See? Not so tough now, are ya lad?" The man continued to laugh before another voice from Ichika's right spoke up, a bored tone addressing his bemused companion with a hint of disdain.

"Silence, we're nearly at the exchange point. Keep your hands to yourself and try not to crack so many jokes when we meet up with the rendezvous team, the boss lady ain't very fond of jokes especially when she's on a mission." The man just guffawed at the serious voice with a hearty laugh, deflecting the warning with ease.

"Oh come on, those women haven't had a relationship for years…must be yearning for a man's touch after so much sweaty jobs and no entertainment." He said lecherously while giving a nudge to one of the men who just shook his head, the man with the serious business tone simply stared down at Ichika who was kicking aimlessly before a bump stopped the middle schooler in his tracks as the joker of the group tapped the boy with the tip of his shoe.

"Hear that, lad? We are in a vehicle, taking you somewhere special. You're going to love it, or at least we will when we get commendations and move up the ladder." He thumbed towards the front of the vehicle, watching the boy go silent he then shrugged nonchalantly and leaned back in his seat the vehicle just continuing onwards with silence. Ichika felt a feeling of dread and hope being lost as he conserved his strength, struggling against the binds was starting to wear his wrists down as he felt a burning feeling run along the cuff of his wrist while his cheek turned red from the punch. He couldn't believe it, he was kidnapped by a bunch of people who seemed to know who he was and transported to god knows who for what purpose was in store for him…the boy felt useless at this point as he replayed the scene that occurred just a few minutes earlier.

"_**Eh? You're skipping classes, Ichika-san? But we have a test coming up in two weeks, and you are falling a bit behind in your studies!" Ichika shook his head in refusal at his friend's attempt to sway him as he turned to look out from the school roof in the direction of the island nearby the mainland, the boy feeling a cool breeze blowing his hair back as he placed an arm over his eyes to shield himself. Standing beside him dressed in the same black school uniform with a black blazer covering the inner white shirt stood a boy of the same age as Ichika, wearing a pair of square-shaped glasses while brown messy hair whipped back messily with a stray fringe sweeping over his bare forehead while both his hands were dug deeply into his pockets, deep black eyes watched the sight of the coast and then upwards towards the island where a train rail ran from the mainland to the land itself, metal and concrete buildings littered the center of the island with the sound of fire crackers popping away in the distance above a stadium that sat prominently in the island. Ichika looked down at his watch, reading the time with a sense of oncoming excitement.**_

_**12:45pm**_

"_**Hey, today is the day isn't it?" The guy spoke with a sudden realization of his friend's words as he turned to Ichika who merely smiled brightly and nodded, his hand clenched in a fist as he looked at the stadium with a look of admiration.**_

"_**Yeah, I am going to cheer Chifuyu-nee on for the Second Monde Grosso Tournament! She's a finalist and this is her last match before she gets to be announced as world champion!" He spoke excitedly, his left hand twitching along with the euphoric feeling much to the amusement of his friend who just chuckled at his friend's enthusiasm for the tournament, his hands pulled out of his pockets as he adjusted his glasses and put a hand under his chin.**_

"_**Well, you know what happens if you try and skip this right? The teacher will flip when she knows you skipped classes for an IS tournament and your average grades won't save you from her wrath…"**_

"_**I don't care about my test right now, going to see her is the most important thing a brother can do for his sister. I mean we both as siblings never even had the chance to spend time with one another ever since…well, mom and dad left." Ichika spoke sadly as he remembered his sister's face full of betrayal and fury when their parents' up and left the two of them one day when they came back from school, leaving a note for Chifuyu-nee to read as well as some lists of instructions on how to take care of the house and fend for themselves. He remembered when he got home and saw no one but his sister clenching onto the note in the living room with a tearful look on her face as she read the note again, letting out a rage-filled scream as she crumpled the note and threw it at the wall watching it bounce off the wall and land softly on the wooden floor. He remembered her kneeling down and thumping the floor with fists pounding, screaming 'why' for minutes before she curled up in the sofa sobbing while clutching the cushion leaving him with more questions before she mentioned that their mum and dad just ditched them for no particular reason. From then on, she became more serious and took on the sister/mother role that was left like a gap for Ichika, and he had to admit that the first few years of living without seeing his sister for extended periods of time due to part-time work was the hardest thing he ever had to deal with, the nights alone never helped especially when he was afraid of the dark and had no one to call upon but himself. Watching his sister struggle everyday just to feed the two of them and coming back from home, tired and weak made Ichika feel useless as the years went by with Chifuyu-nee always helping him up and sometimes she would lose sight of the border between sister and mother, becoming strict with him before her sisterly instincts took over and she would hug him and stroke his back when he cried, explaining herself to Ichika her actions as valid.**_

_**Ichika had to admit, some days he wondered what his sister was thinking half the time with a busy life of juggling between being the hard-working student and only family to her little brother, she had sacrificed so many years of happiness all because their parents disappeared without a trace and seeing her so serious and absolutely almost all about business to everyone except him…it made him feel depressed. I mean sure he cooked a meal for her during the weekends most of the time and leaving microwave food for her to eat when she would return home from night shifts at her job, but even so Ichika always felt he could do so much more than just be a cook and an excellent massager: a skill that Chifuyu put to good use.**_

"_**I understand." His friend spoke up, noticing Ichika slowly backsliding into a depressing mood as he clapped Ichika's back giving a warm smile of comfort for his best friend. "I'll tell the teacher that you left for family reasons, alright? But after this, you better concentrate on getting your studies back on track." Ichika simply looked stunned by his friend's declaration as he nodded, grabbing his bag and swinging it over his shoulder as he ran towards the exit door turning back to wave at his friend.**_

"_**Thanks, I will. Wish my sister the best of luck!" He yelled as he disappeared from the roof.**_

"Well that boy was so easy, hard to believe he's the brother of that Chifuyu chick on the news." The joker resumed his commentary, the rest of the vehicle just ignoring him while the man with the business tone spoke once more rubbing the bridge of his nose in irritation at the antics.

"Yes, yes…the greatest pilot of the IS since the White Knight incident six years ago. That was the stuff of legends."

"Yea, but it's the first I ever heard of a single woman taking on a missile barrage with just one of those IS suits and disappearing without a trace! I mean, I wish I had one." At that the rest of the men snorted and chuckled, making the jokester uncomfortable as he fidgeted in his seat at the laughter of his comrades.

"What's so funny?" One of the men decided to take the piss out of the man, jabbing a finger at the jokester while holding back his laughter and failing.

"You! An IS suit? The whole damn world will end the day Tabane Shinonono says that IS suits can be powered by males, unless you wish to have a gender swap just to fit in with those fighting women!" The men laughed once more, the jokester now feeling embarrassment heat up his cheeks before the vehicle stopped abruptly the sudden screech alerting the men as the driver indicated his finger ahead with two words.

"Our stop." At that, the men sprang into action grabbing the boy who ceased struggling and instead kept silent as Ichika was grabbed under the shoulder by two of the men who exited the vehicle by the ramp, dragging the schooler by his feet towards the large metal gate and fence that surrounded the area noting the appearance of several IS suits standing ready at the front behind the gate.

The man with the business tone confidently strode with his two henchmen, Ichika giving one last effort to struggle against their grip only to have the impatient escort punch him in the face to stop him from squirming, the two men were about to finish the job before one of the IS pilots drew out her gun and pointed it in their direction in warning as the duo withdrew their fists and picked up the boy, dragging him beside their leader and threw him before the group of IS pilots staring at him with helmeted faces regarding the child momentarily before a short-haired woman moved to the front of the group in her forest green IS suit, her hand reached out to scoop the boy who grunted as he tried to get up into her arms as she used her other robotic hand's pincer-like fingers to tear off the blindfold obscuring Ichika's eyes, the boy flinching back from the sudden exposure of sunlight before he squinted his eyes open to stare up in surprise at the pilot gripping him tightly as she turned back to the three men.

"You've done well, kidnapping a middle schooler is the easiest job you probably had." She commented as the leader folded his arms in agreement as he stretched out his hand, the woman just looked at him curiously before she understood the gesture. Nodding to one of the others, a red-haired pilot approached the three men and dropped a large briefcase of sorts in front of the men, the two henchmen already on the run towards the cases hastily picking them up and opening them as they flipped through the amount of thousand dollar bills resting in the suitcases while their leader patiently waited for the results. It didn't take long before the two men closed the cases and turned to their boss with a satisfied smirk of their own.

"Its good boss, it's all good."

"Excellent that means business is concluded. We hope you enjoy your captive, Phantom Task." The leader spoke professionally as the three men retreated back into their vehicle, the pilots watching intently as the vehicle sped away from the warehouse while Ichika kept his mouth closed through the whole ordeal, replaying the scene with a mortified face. How could people agree to sell him for so much money, he wasn't worth anything in the first place…and to see those men greedily hogging all of that cash while giggling to themselves, the sight made his blood boil as his head turned back to face the IS leader with a scowl.

"Why? Why are you doing this? What's the point of it all, how am I so special?" He yelled at his captor who simply addressed him with an emotionless stare underneath her helmet before she snorted at him.

"You? You're just a man, not an IS pilot like us…in fact your part in this is insignificant as much as your role is miniscule. You're just blackmail, a way to achieve our goals. Nothing more, nothing less." Ichika clenched his teeth at that, struggling once more with his bindings in defiance while the IS pilot just stared at him as he shifted his arms to no avail as she brought him closer to her, the pilot looking straight into the boy's eyes as he looked back at her with defiance and a determined look.

"Still resisting? We just need to hold you until your dear Chifuyu-nee get the message that we have you in our grasp and all will be made clear to her just what we want from her. In the meantime, you can stay in the warehouse and rot while we-" The pilot was about to continue before a ring tone came up, the pilot immediately replying to the transmission. Ichika continued to struggle, but he heard a gasp of surprise before more hushed whispers before the atmosphere changed as Ichika felt the grip of the lead pilot tighten instinctively as she switched off the channel ignoring the boy's yelp of pain as she muttered incoherently to herself.

"How did she know we were here so fast? Gah, everyone! Retreat back to main base and take the boy with us!" The leader ordered as the rest of the IS suits began to mobilize their weapons, ready for the intruder.

"Bravo Team, Chifuyu Orimura is on the way! Homing on your six in five minutes ETA!" Ichika lifted his head at the mention of his sister's name, his eyes wide with surprise and relief at the sound of his sister coming for him as he yelled out at the IS team leader for no inexplicable reason.

"Chifuyu-nee!"

"Damn, we have to quickly get rid of the intruder in the warehouse. Fire at it, Mako." The leader turned to another pilot with a purple dyed streak with a helmet covering her face like the rest as she gave a nod of acknowledgement before her particle rifle formed into her hand, Ichika suddenly noticing the door being kicked open with force the metallic rusted doors clanking hard against the wall as Ichika felt the air change into a swirl surrounding him as he noticed the ground getting smaller below his feet as he panicked, his focus lost on the figure that rushed outside while his trapped hands uselessly scraped the sharp razor talons of the IS suit much to the team leader's disdain, the woman squeezing Ichika once more as he felt his arm begin to strain and his bones starting to crack while he yelled in pain.

"Shut up, you're lucky to be labeled a valuable asset. Now watch as your rescuers come to die for you." The woman declared harshly as she spun her arm towards the warehouse, tilting Ichika's body to face the entrance of the warehouse where his eyes picked upon a strange sight. A figure had burst out of the entrance and was keeping some distance from the building while what appeared to be a person, dressed in a grey overcoat with the collar untucked and with short black hair with a stray strand running down between his eyes looking frantic while he clutched on what Ichika realized was a girl a few years older than he was dressed in the same battle suit like a typical IS pilot, Ichika barely able to spot any bracer or some sort of indication of where her IS was hidden but he soon turned his attention to see the woman Mako aim her particle rifle at the building behind them and fired once.

The world soon exploded below Ichika as the middle schooler widened his eyes when he saw the two figures being blown forward by the impact of the weapon discharge, dust clouds blinding his vision as the man appeared from the dissipating dust clouds staggering to his feet and turned his head left and right before he stretched his hands out in front of him, the wind blowing the swirls of brown to reveal the woman lying sideways from the man in the overcoat who was still trying to regain his sense of balance and groggily made his way, only to have Mako dive right in forming a machine gun in her other hand and discharging a round to block the stranger while the IS leader simply stared stunned at the figures, her features unreadable but Ichika could clearly tell she was surprised at the identity.

"What the hell? A man, he's the intruder? Tch, Mako!" The leader brought up the communication line to Mako as a screen appeared in front of her and the pilot's face appeared to look up at her as Mako replied with a slightly surprised tone.

"The man has May, what do we do?" Mako didn't have to wait long for the reply.

"Kill her, quickly." The order given, Mako nodded and closed the channel as the leader turned away, still gripping the horrified boy who looked down to see Mako move in front of his vision armed with the particle rifle and without hesitation fired another laser into the ground where he last saw May and the mysterious stranger, another burst of fire filled the area as Ichika could stare in open horror at the sight of fire and concrete debris flying in all directions as the warehouse continued to burn, the front falling over by where the man was lying with a creaking thud sending small piles of the road flying in the air before the leader was satisfied and turned to talk to Ichika again.

"You are invaluable to us and to your sister, it was expected rescuers would come for you…but a man? What was the government thinking-huh?" The woman noticed a bright red alert pop up to her right, the IS pilot instantly opening the screen and what she saw made the woman gasp in horror as she screamed out on the communication line.

"Team, get into defensive formation now…it's Byakushiki!" The mere mention of the name made the whole team get instantly on edge as Ichika groaned in pain, his arms were definitely broken as he painfully shifted his arms into a more comfortable position as the leader formed a machine gun into her free hand gripping the weapon tightly as sweat poured down her forehead while keeping her eyes ahead and on the screen for any sudden interceptions by the pilot.

It didn't work.

The attack was so fast that even the squad of combat sensors tracking a couple of mile radius could not track, and to make it worse the battle was pretty much over before it began. Let me try to give you the full picture, imagine flying at top speeds with booster ignitions thrusting you forward similar to that of a missile being launched and suddenly a blur rushes past you and around the group, simultaneously picking away at the weapons first before the blur stops for a brief moment and you can only see the bright blue and white colors of its armor as it vanishes completely, a top speed unmatched by any IS model up to date and certainly not a factor in the building structure of standardized IS mobiles. The problem with the standard is that nations usually focus on many aspects, but speed is not a largely considered strength…merely one has to see the usual lineups to know that they do not provide much durability and are easy to beat with IS suits that either have a lot of firepower or speed to overcome these cumbersome metal suits.

Their very mistake was that such IS suits despite being that of the 3rd generation models, were not suited to take on Byakushiki.

In five seconds, the members of Bravo Team found their weapons hacked into two or for a few unlucky ones had their entire arms severed from the rest of their bodies, the various assortment of particle rifles and some beam cannons were disabled instantly by the extremely fast IS that stopped in its one track advance for a single moment, five members of the fifteen men squad instantly fell towards the earth below with their hand or hands severed from the shoulder the body parts joining their owners in the great fall as the enemy IS suit disappeared once more from view, another six fell with the second strike piercing their shields and sending them crashing with their mobile suits suddenly having their feet thrusters separated with a line thinly reaching the soles of the women's shoes, the final four members immediately spreading out in all directions forcing the enemy to engage them individually while one stayed by the leader forming two large blades to cover their captain, the latter already eyeing Ichika who had passed out from the broken arms with an irritated glance before she noticed the blur rush towards one of the two spread out women, the IS suit engaging with the first who had activated her combat knife and began to hold her ground before the IS retreated and rushed to the other one who could not react in time nor could she defend herself from the sword that buried deep into her chest, her shields cut through like butter as the blade protruded from the back of the pilot as the leader heard Mako's voice ring out above the fighting.

"Leader, this is Mako. I am going to engage the enemy with Ran and draw her attention, take the boy and run." The leader turned towards the IS next to her, a troubled expression on her face before she nodded and focused on Byakushiki violently pushing Ran back who was staggering back with each considerable blow, the pilot solely focused on putting Ran down as Mako rushed Byakushiki from behind with a machete in hand making sure she wasn't heard nor seen.

"_Let's see if you can handle this, Byakushiki!" _ Mako thought as she gripped the handle of her weapon and brought it up to penetrate the pilot with a Shield Breaker.

Byakushiki turned and simply smashed Mako to the ground with a swing of the giant blue laser blade, smashing the woman's shields down to zero as she plummeted onto the ground hard. Mako had a disbelieving look on her face as Ran joined her shortly with an equally powerful impact, creating a small crater next to Mako's body as her eyes flitted in and out of consciousness her vision beginning to darken as Ran passed out followed by Mako. The leader left alone, gripping the unconscious boy in her talons as she pointed her weapon out in front of her aiming at the IS suit that now stood in front of her giving the woman time to take in the full appearance of a woman in a black battle suit with crimson lines from her shoulders to her skirt while her black hair stretched a little past her shoulders with messy strands covering her forehead and eyes as she stared straight at Bravo Team's remaining member, the latter raising her gun in response as she held the boy out with a talon outstretched and curling towards the boy's chest, her teeth grinding in anger as she stood terrified at the monster who butchered her team.

"Die you monster!" She screamed and fired wildly while Byakushiki immediately rushed the terrified woman, her sword cutting the gun in two before another slash from the high powered blue energy blade sent the leader falling before she recovered and moved out of the way as the black-haired woman raised her sword only to stop when the talon prodded Ichika's chest while the leader held a satisfied smirk.

"Do it and your brother dies!"

"I'm afraid not today, Miss Phantom Task Lapdog." A German voice spoke behind her, the Phantom Task operative's eyes grew wide before a bullet smashed into her back destroying her shield and concentration before Byakushiki moved in, bringing the energy sword to slice off the robotic arm holding her brother while taking the operative's hand along with it the woman screaming in pain as another bullet impacted with her IS, sending her plummeting to the concrete joining her comrades as the mobile suit disappeared leaving Ichika to fall helplessly down before Byakushiki immediately moved towards the falling boy and scooped him in her hands while the second IS looked on without emotion as the young woman burst into concern.

"Ichika…Ichika! Wake up, please!" The woman nudged the unconscious boy before she landed on the ground, the IS suit soon demobilized as the black-haired woman quickly brought her head to his chest hearing him breathing before she sighed in relief, a hand tracing the swelled cheek from which the kidnappers punched anger replacing her concern for a moment but she pushed it aside. Her brother, her dear brother was still alive and well.

"C-Chifu-yu-nee…" Ichika's voice called out weakly as Chifuyu turned immediately to look at her brother's face, small beads of tears gathering at the corner of her eyes as she watched him lift his arm with considerable effort to his left before he yelped, his limb falling uselessly towards the floor as he hissed in pain unable to clutch his arms as the wounds began to take their toll. Chifuyu wasted no time in placing him on the ground, placing a hand on her brother's head and rubbed it affectionately before Ichika coughed again pointing his hand in the direction to his left.

"There's…someone, there…a man…dressed strangely. He's hurt…" Ichika entered a coughing fit as he shook his arms by accident, once more hissing as he felt his broken bones moving around freely and tearing at his muscles before he looked at his sister pleadingly. Nodding, Chifuyu gave him a look that told him to relax as she turned to look around the carnage of craters and knocked out operatives for any sign of the man, her eyes narrowing and her mouth feeling parched by the heat of the fires burning behind them as she noted a fallen piece of the warehouse as a sudden tune began to play aloud heightening her alertness while she continued past the debris field.

_Sticks and stones may build a home_

_But a house it needs you inside_

_So come on around and we'll stoke on the fire_

_And we'll talk in its gold and black light_

"What kind of music is that? It's strange…foreign." Chifuyu muttered as her boots stepped on something soft, the woman looking down only to step back in fright as she saw what she was standing on. Burnt and charred was the body of a person, the flesh was burned too badly and smoke continued to sizzle out into the air but what stood out was the glimmer of a dull silver necklace that wrung around the corpse's neck, Chifuyu only needing a glance to realize that this was the body of a IS pilot...most likely one of the operatives, no doubt. She perked her ears up and heard the song continue to play, a guitar solo ringing out across the scene like a hollow echo amongst the smoke and fire as Chifuyu heard the song grow clearer with each step.

_When your work is over, come round to mine_

_Or we could meet in a second hand shop_

_Where I saw your face for the first time_

_Sticks and stones may build a home_

_But a house, it needs you inside_

_So come on around and we'll stoke on the fire_

_And we'll talk in its gold and black light_

The guitar continued to play, leaving Chifuyu confused but still alert as she looked down at her bracer which held Byakushiki and flicked it on watching the screen light up with a red box appearing reading 'Warning: Low Power' on it as she let out a 'tch'.

"Looks like I'm defenseless at this point. But where is that song coming from?" She muttered to herself as she pushed another pile of debris aside, her eyes looking down to come across something as she pushed more debris aside to make way for some light before she leaned in and looked.

Lying down, with a part of the fallen front of the warehouse crushing his lower body laid a man with slightly messy hair, buried with his arm trapped by a concrete rock his hand showing now signs of being crushed, likely from the explosion before she arrived when she saw the burning warehouse in the distance after a tip from the German army about strange communications and suspicious individuals leaving the vicinity in an armored truck, military grade by the looks of it and possibly stolen. Ignoring the possibility, she took in the appearance of the man with some small measure of interest in his choice of clothing that he wore, a grey overcoat with its collar unfolded and left covering the neck while a light blue shirt was visible and a pair of dark blue jeans, navy blue to be exact as she moved to his side wincing as she saw the extensive damage to his body. His face was lightly burned, not very serious to inflict scars with flakes of white skin floating in the breeze now and then his eyes were closed but his heaving chest made Chifuyu sigh in small relief when she noticed a breath escaping his nostrils, it seems the man was lucky to even escape death from such a horrendous experience of being shot at by a particle laser at close range, the impact was higher and caused more destruction to boot. But what caught her eye was the guitar stringing sound that came from the inside of the man's coat pocket, the lyrics had all but died off leaving only the humming sound of a male and female according to the tune piquing Chifuyu's curiosity as she opened up a communications channel, the German operative appearing on screen.

"Get me some immediate backup and help me, I have a survivor over here." The German operative nodded her head as the channel closed, Chifuyu sighed before she stretched out a hand and dug into the inner pockets of the overcoat, the music already starting to fade away but her fingers dug into a particular pocket near his chest the young adult noting that the man's abdomen was mostly flat, showing some signs of working out…Chifuyu had to shake her head at that before she felt her fingers grasp something cold and metallic, not only that it seemed to be square in shape her own interest increasing as she took out the item from the pocket.

"A music box…" The small chest was interestingly designed, ornate flower patterns along with tendrils for some hooking with the others surrounding a small rectangular label that read 'Zerschmettert Speicher', the words invoking an unknown feeling of sadness to it as Chifuyu traced a light finger on the label before making its way to the top surprising her when she looked at the top to see one of the most strangest things for a simple music box. On it etched into a number of tiles with numerals and letters was one of the most random features she ever saw, her eyes noticing the surrounding tiles and around the top of the box in a square was a system of gaps like train tracks journeying around in a loop with small gaps leading to the top and bottom of the tiles. She tilted the box around and noticed yet another lock system, this time only with symbols unknown to her in a dial wheel format with five dials…whoever this person was, he was definitely strange to carry such a box with him all the way here. A symbol of importance to him or some sort of reminder, perhaps but then what was it for?

"Who are you?" Chifuyu asked the man with a bare whisper as grey clouds began to gather overhead, a drizzle of rain beginning to follow soon after the fires beginning to die under the torrent of water.

* * *

><p>Hours Later…<p>

Present

"We've been asking the man questions, but he seems to not know anything."

"That's not good enough, we had a tip off from someone and the signal was traced to this man as the cause of the anomaly in the area."

"What about the music box, Chifuyu? Is there anything you can decipher from it?" Chifuyu raised her head from the box as she addressed one of the officers in the war room with a shake of her head, a sigh of frustration slipping out uncharacteristically for the normally business-like woman with a frown etched on her face. The young pilot was called into the German embassy in Japan for an emergency meeting concerning the kidnapping of her brother, the Japanese minister not giving much information apart from the fact that the attack was targeted at her by a mysterious organization and that any more findings were found there. Chifuyu recalled her brother's injuries and how the nurses and doctors said that Ichika was lucky enough to escape with such minor injuries, the worst only being two broken arms for a few months or so. She felt relieved that her brother was safe, but it seemed her troubles were just beginning and from the implications made by the German army it was slowly being pieced that the attack was connected solely to her and her involvement in the Monde Grosso Tournament she was participating in, and aside from speculations on what a shadow organization would want…

"It's no good, I do not know what we're even looking at here. The symbols aren't found on any text in the archives and our best codebreakers cannot even begin to decipher the symbols much less only tell us how the lock systems work. We know that the numbers and letters stand for something important, and the dial system isn't giving up its secrets anytime soon."

"In short, it means we're stuck." The German officer spoke with a bit of irritation before a man in a lab coat entered the private room, his hands holding a folder as he placed it next to the box and began to examine the box his eyes paying attention to every detail concerning it while the officer turned to face Chifuyu, a gloved hand gesturing to the scientist who was taking photos of the container and storing it into the folder while he turned the dials snapping even more photos of the symbols before he lifted it up and examined the underside of the box.

"Looks like we'll try to solve it…let's see if our code breakers can have a go. In the meantime, I think we should discuss the deal that you made with us regarding this information that led to your brother's safety." Chifuyu now shot a furious look at the officer who held up his gloved hands in a peaceful gesture while his fellow officer simply took his leave with the scientist, the box left as it was on the table as the door closed shut behind the two men giving an air of privacy around the glass room.

"Now, Miss Chifuyu we did discover some useful information via the anomaly that occurred in the industrial district and also as an extension of good faith we did send our operatives to assist you in your investigation. This terrorist force known as Phantom Task sounds like a very powerful cell, perhaps it is made out of a few talented pilots who are possibly above or slightly below your skill."

"We've seen the videos, what you can do, what you are capable of doing…what you have done." The officer paused at the last detail, noticing her face darken considerably at the implication as the officer decided to dismiss that part before he placed his hands on the table looking up at her with a worried look.

"The thing is…our country needs someone like you. Someone to show our pilots the ropes of being a true IS pilot, a force on the battlefield and an increase to our security on our own borders. And I cannot think of anyone more than you."

"I appreciate the fact that you helped, but I cannot just pack and leave for Germany…I have to take care of my brother." Chifuyu argued back, her concern for her brother finding its edge in her tone and voice as the officer sighed in defeat nodding in understanding as he pushed himself from the table and walked to the glass overlooking the night sky and the distant skyscrapers out in the distance over a forest of trees and bright lights illuminating the night.

"You think the government cares about that? Chifuyu, the Minister of War called me in my very office today and made me relay the day's events and he's going to push for having a talented pilot over-"

"As an asset." Chifuyu emphasized the word 'asset' harshly at the officer, her light orange eyes staring at the officer's back as he chuckled dryly.

"Yes, if you want to be so crude. It is necessary though, I can't argue with the benefits it provides our army to survive the new age of such revolutionary technology." He argued back.

"At the cost of sacrificing female soldiers to do so, men are now called back from being soldiers and the fighters of the new generation instead they are demoted to being the backburners of the armed military. Ever since Tabane Shinonono introduced the IS, countries like Singapore forcibly recruit their females into serving the armed forces just to test pilot and conscript them into soldiers for their reasons of 'national security'. Oh yes, I know how politics work." Chifuyu sarcastically shot back, the officer keeping a calm demeanor as he watched her stubborn eyes hold fast in the pressure game.

"Singapore is an illusion of peace, a symbol that the people wish to continue deluding themselves into believing they are 'safe' from the harsh world when they live its vices differently. It is no different in policies and mannerisms of greedy maggots than the rest of the world who revel in such debauchery at an equally sadistic level, except it just hides behind a façade of friendship and less implications of a viper, unlike all the other nations. You shouldn't be surprised, the world is disgusting like that with its horrible truths and the shades of black and white we are asked to believe when it is all just grey." The officer declared with clenched fists, the action not escaping Chifuyu's sharp eyes as she folded her arms.

"I guess you aren't an avid fan of Singapore."

"They are filth and maggots, crawling around in sheep's clothing. Ruthless and manipulative, they are truly the world's greatest angels and devils rolled into one if they so choose. I have run-ins with them and truthfully the older generations are much more civil but predictable as their young…pathetic." The man spat out the words with added venom much to Chifuyu's own surprise at how he described them, the young adult skipping back to the main topic to avoid a sensitive subject.

"About me joining your army…"

"You won't be joining us, you'll be given the title of instructor instead and will teach our first batch of IS troops. Willing volunteers, if it so comforts you when you get there." Chifuyu didn't reply back as she gave a tired sigh, rubbing her forehead and the bridge of her nose as she spoke up again.

"I don't suppose I had a choice from the beginning." She answered monotonously as the officer nodded grimly, the military man pulling out one of the metal chairs and settled himself down pulling the beret off his head and placing it onto the table as he leaned back in his chair and looked up at the ceiling in silent contemplation before he heard the sound of the door clicking shut leaving him alone as he noticed that the box wasn't there on the table anymore, the man smiling and shook his head as he closed his eyes and muttered softly to the ceiling lights.

"No, you really don't."

[Line Break]

Hospital

"I would like to see our mysterious guest." Chifuyu spoke to the receptionist as she nodded, typing some words into the keyboard before she turned to address the famous pilot with a polite smile.

"Of course, the German embassy task force has just gone back from their talks with the gentleman. I spoke with him this evening before my duty began, he seems like a nice man. And his manners, very polite for someone who looks like a ragged man…yet he also seemed very sad." The receptionist wondered out aloud as Chifuyu simply nodded her head in silent agreement, the receptionist tapping away at some keys before a loud 'ping' was heard from the computer before the woman turned back to Chifuyu her hand outstretched towards the elevator down the wide hallway.

"Alright, take the elevator up and fourth floor. He's in the solitary wards, kept under guard so it'll be easy to spot." Giving her thanks, Chifuyu took a deep breath as she reached into her black jacket and pulled out the music box into full view, pressing the button to summon the elevator while she stood back looking down at the object with curiosity as she turned to look at the underside of the music box, only to groan as she found another string of carved symbols similar to the ones found on the dials but had no instruction on how to figure them out. Aside from that, the music box continued to fascinate her with the design and locking system…indeed it was something out of its time, and something about it seemed to call out to the young adult. Something sad, like she was feeling the box trying to tell its story but could not because of its owner's choice of silence to seal the secrets away from the world…something that shouldn't be said.

She didn't get far when the elevator pinged to life, the young woman moving aside for a few doctors who were guiding a patient in a wheelchair who was quivering rather violently and Chifuyu could have sworn she saw wrist straps on the armrests of the wheelchair before she stepped into the empty lift and pushed the fourth floor, watching the doors shut leaving her in silence for the ride up. Opening at the fourth level, she didn't have to look long before seeing two armed soldiers standing guard at the entrance of a simple white door and shutter-closed glass window preventing anyone from looking inside at the patient, Chifuyu walking up to the two men who glanced in her direction before they nodded in respect at the IS pilot stepping away from the door as Chifuyu looked at them strangely before she raised her hand to knock.

"I know you, miss…from the operation table, please come in!" The voice happily chimed, shocking the woman as she turned toward the guard who simply shrugged at the statement before Chifuyu grasped the knob and opened the door with a soft push. Sitting on the hospital bed, with small bandages covering his right cheek and neck along with his right arm in a sling, sat the man who was responsible for the discovery of Phantom Task and also the main source that helped Chifuyu find her brother smiling widely at her while his eyes beamed with excitement at the thought of company.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Sit, sit." He gestured to a nearby chair beside his hospital bed, the young woman unable to say a word as she simply took the seat looking at the young man carefully without any rubble or fires to worry about. What stunned her first of all was how young he looked, yet the doctors agreed that he was around the same age as her if not younger by a year or two from her own age…and for such an age he certainly looked like he had better days, small bags were under his eyes and his eyes were a little strained probably from the interrogation the embassy officers were doing not long ago. His grey overcoat was hung on the nearby rack sitting by the window along with the rest of his clothes, blackish burn marks still faintly visible from the incident not too long ago while his messy hair was cut leaving the man with a much shorter fringe covering part of his forehead, some bed hair sticking out from the sides of his head giving him a much more attractive look.

"_Focus, Chifuyu."_

"How did you know it was me? There could have been anyone." She questioned, curious as to how the man could have figured it out as the mysterious black-haired stranger simply smiled at that, holding a finger to his lips in thought.

"You were the only one I saw in the operation room, but it seems that you let your body show a bit more of your personality than what you think you let others see." Seeing the woman's confused look, Anastasio decided to change his explanation to the simplest one he could think of.

"Bodies tell tales. Your eyes when you were looking over me were ones of a hardened veteran, probably been experienced in combat although I do not know what type it is there. You also gave yourself away as a person of considerable power and influence, no one simply watches over a patient who was being operated on by doctors unless by government orders…that and the fact that you hold a stern face tells me that at one point in time something changed your life, making you much more…" He shivered slightly as he finished his sentence with a chatter of his teeth. "Cold."

"That doesn't explain how you know it was me outside the door." Chifuyu deadpanned as Anastasio sighed, realizing where he went wrong before he rubbed his forehead and focused drumming his fingers on the sheets as he spoke.

"I heard a ding, elevator stopping at this floor suggests a visitor but a visitor during closing hours of the evening is abnormal behavior for staff except for high-ranking personal under the law or those that work for the government. Clue number one, number two was when the guards shifted out of the way to let you in with no sharp yells of 'sir!' or 'ma'am' which led me to suspect that the person is not military but still commands respect. The third was pure instinct, I managed to overhear a rather interesting conversation about you before you arrived, that you were some sort of talented IS pilot who can do extraordinary things and from that I heard you saved my life, and I figured that the only person who would visit someone who's been interrogated by the joint Japanese and German officers could only be you by process of elimination." He stopped his explanation as Chifuyu looked at him with a slightly impressed look, closing her eyes for a brief moment.

"Well, you have good instincts on you."

"Of course, otherwise I would never have the pleasure of knowing that my special visitor would be a beauty like you." Anastasio spoke politely with a slight bow of his head as Chifuyu nearly choked on her saliva from his statement, the legendary pilot kept a straight face on as she cleared her throat before thinking on her next words to say to the man as silence permeated the room again.

"I heard you were the one who led me to my brother. I just came here to thank you personally." Chifuyu gave a thankful glance as Anastasio stared at her curiously before he nodded back, still holding on to his smile as he brought his hand to caress his neck bandage.

"That was my own, to be honest I had no idea I would be involved in such a serious situation involving the government itself. Tell me, just how deeply involved was I in the incident?" Chifuyu raised her eyebrows at that, this was something she definitely did not know from the Germans and her own side as she stared deeply at the young man's eyes before she spoke the next few words.

"Intelligence said that the Germans managed to pinpoint the location of the Phantom Task force due to an anomaly that appeared inside a warehouse in Japan's industrial district. And that source…was you."

End

Sorry for the abrupt ending. I'm tired, I wanna sleep and stuff so good night everybody and have a nice day!

NapoleonVI


	3. The Blackbird's Song, What is a Home

IS: Valkyrie

Author's Note: Hello there, this is NapoleonVI speaking to the readers! A friendly welcome to those who are new and those who are old…I thank you for seeing more of my fics and that you would enjoy yourselves with the fics. Of course this is the new year and quite a lot of games are coming out, neat selection too…that and Assassin's Creed's next installment is in progress, can't wait to see how that turns out and yeah a few other small ones caught my eye like Murdered Soul Suspect and other things, I could make a list.

Well on with the fic!

Disclaimer: I do not own the IS franchise of both animation and novelization, and I won't have it any other way.

* * *

><p>"I'm…the source of the anomaly?" Anastasio muttered as he put a hand over his mouth in thought, Chifuyu sitting beside him with her eyes looking out at the evening sun setting down the horizon before she looked back at his face, shrouded slightly by the length of hair that covered part of his right eye. Anastasio was focused, his care-free manner disappearing quickly when the IS pilot told him that he was the main reason why she was able to rescue her brother and that set off a few red flags inside Chifuyu's head when she noticed this, mentally noting the action.<p>

Anastasio on the other hand was thinking of the statement, an anomaly from him led to the rescue of her brother? The flash of white would most likely be the source of the sudden burst of energy, but he did not know what to say to the woman sitting beside him as various lies popped up in his head or a statement that could possibly make sense. It wasn't that he was an expert at lying, but the very fact that his circumstances were…unique, he can't just tell her that he died and went to the afterlife before God gave him another life in another universe he would be dismissed as having hallucinations or maybe the effect of medication. What's worse is that people would laugh at him and call him crazy for such a story, and if this woman could pass through the guards without so much trouble he could possibly end up in more suspicion or the government officials would believe he was lying and continue to question him, two things he did not want. Removing the hand from his mouth he turned to look at the IS pilot in detail, noting her bright orange eyes meet his face briefly before her mouth frowned deeper. He first noticed that she wasn't wearing the battle suit that she wore in the hospital when he was being operated on and had changed out, wearing a denim blue shirt with the top two buttons undone hardly showing much as he noticed that the shirt was a little loose for her ample chest, C-category from the looks of it, while a former black jacket was donned over the fabric. She also wore no jewelry, a fact that told Anastasio that she wasn't the type to live or want luxury in her life…he then noted the black jeans she wore to couple with the top, an adequate combination but not much thought led to it apart from color matching as well as the fact that she was comfortable in such clothes suggest a simplistic taste. With those details saved into his mind for later, the young man decided to respond to the IS pilot's frown as he found the words get caught in his throat when he noticed the intimidating gaze.

"T-The anomaly that brought you to the warehouse? I don't really know anything about that aside from the fact that I woke up and I was inside the building, with no idea what had happened." Now that heightened Chifuyu's suspicions about the stranger, her body shifted slightly as she felt the man tense from her gaze and looked at the wall in front of him a nervous finger tracing the bed sheets. It was obvious he was lying, but what about was the next question as Chifuyu's hand went into her jacket to bring the music box into play making some rustling noise in order to turn his attention unto her, the action having its intended effect as Anastasio's eyes widened curiously at the intriguing box that was placed on his bed cover while Chifuyu eyed his reaction with a degree of mistrust and slight confusion as he placed his palm on the music box.

"I found this box inside of your coat while you were unconscious back at the warehouse, the embassy claims that it was this very item that you were carrying that was the source." Chifuyu stated as she saw Anastasio run his fingers upon the dials with fascination before he turned to look at the tiles humming a tune under his breath, the familiar tune catching Chifuyu's attention as he continued to observe the box flipping it on its underside to expose the symbols before she interrupted the man's humming.

"What's that song that you are singing? It sounded familiar…" Anastasio looked up to face the IS pilot with a strange look as he looked back at the box, his eyes narrowing as he felt the item with his mind feeling a pang of sadness well up in his spirit as he turned to see the label of the box, reading the inscription before a look of realization dawned upon his face. Turning to Chifuyu while grasping the box tightly with his thin fingers, he gave her a blank stare of seriousness at the legendary pilot who could only keep her frown barely intact from his unnerving look.

"If I tell you the song, you have to let me keep the box." He said sternly, Chifuyu feeling a little nervous by the way he spoke…it sounded like a man possessed by something as she folded her arms leaning back into her chair while she considered the options. It was clear to her that this man would not let go of the box, his hands gripping it too tightly as if the box had become something akin to a treasure for him and that made her even more curious as to what the music box could hold. Yet the deal itself was both nonsensical and intriguing at the same time, this stranger was willing to give up a secret for another secret that weighed more to him in the form of a box? Chifuyu shook her head in confusion and doubt, she couldn't understand the significance behind it but yet the deal was quite enticing before the words echoed once more in her head, the memory of her searching through the rubble surfacing at the particular moment when she heard it.

_**Sticks and stones may build a home**_

_**But a house it needs you inside**_

_**So come on around and we'll stoke on the fire**_

_**And we'll talk in its gold and black light**_

"_**What kind of music is that? It's strange…foreign." Chifuyu muttered as her boots stepped on something soft, the woman looking down only to step back in fright as she saw what she was standing on. Burnt and charred was the body of a person, the flesh was burned too badly and smoke continued to sizzle out into the air but what stood out was the glimmer of a dull silver necklace that wrung around the corpse's neck, Chifuyu only needing a glance to realize that this was the body of a IS pilot...most likely one of the operatives, no doubt. She perked her ears up and heard the song continue to play, a guitar solo ringing out across the scene like a hollow echo amongst the smoke and fire as Chifuyu heard the song grow clearer with each step.**_

_**When your work is over, come round to mine**_

_**Or we could meet in a second hand shop**_

_**Where I saw your face for the first time**_

_**Sticks and stones may build a home**_

_**But a house, it needs you inside**_

_**So come on around and we'll stoke on the fire**_

_**And we'll talk in its gold and black light**_

Chifuyu couldn't just let the memory slide, there was something meaningful in the words and her curiosity seemed to win her logic over as she made her decision.

"Deal." Chifuyu couldn't actually believe her words when she said it, the man seemed to brighten up a little before he clutched the box and glanced happily at the new item he acquired before he placed it on the end table to his right, away from Chifuyu's view before he turned back to see her leaning slightly forward in anticipation for the explanation.

"Yes, well the song…" He trailed off as he put a finger to his chin, tapping it in thought before he spoke up again clenching a fist with his other hand as memories began to play in his mind.

"The song, the first few lines of the lyrics is like that of a person pleading for someone to join them and keep them company. The song for that verse had a hope the person would come home and whether the purpose was to become a family again or a friend to keep the singer company instead of his family. Such songs usually have people seeing differing perspectives of it, some however darker than others in terms of theme…this one being one of them."

"My mother taught me this song, she would sing it for me during the night before I went to sleep and for some reason my heart would feel warmth whenever the lyrics were sung. I have to say that she was a good woman, as long as I knew of her." He explained, his face turning away to face the ceiling with a distant look as he stretched his hands upwards feeling the soreness fade from his lazy limbs.

"I was hoping to see my mother, now I may never." He finished, looking at his only audience with the flicker of a fading smile before he adjusted the pillow feeling the cushion slip downwards again.

"What about your father? Was he…" Chifuyu spoke with uncertainty, noticing the man look at her with the ghost of a smile when she mentioned his father before she quickly withdrew her question and gave a look of apology to Anastasio. "Sorry, I didn't mean to say something offending…it's just that I do not have any parents myself. Or at least I did at one point." She muttered, the man looked questionably at her before she dismissed the subject quickly herself and rose from her chair looking down at her watch, the IS pilot gave a look of concern for a second before she bowed politely at Anastasio.

"Well it's been a pleasure to meet you, I hope you have a quick recovery." Turning, she made her way towards the door and turned the knob to open it and leave the man alone to his thoughts.

"Anastasio." The voice loudly declared behind her as Chifuyu's hand kept still on the knob, the pilot turning back to see the man in his bed smiling dimly at the woman as he pointed to himself. "That's my name, Anastasio. And yours?"

"…Chifuyu Orimura." She said with a pause before she opened the door, closing it behind her with a click as Anastasio waited for the woman to leave before he threw off the covers of the bed and placed the music box on his lap, the man flicking open a drawer at the end table to reveal a few pieces of paper and two pens lying in the interior. Picking up a pen from the selection, he turned to the moveable tiles that lay on the top of the box with a hardened gaze on the container as he twirled the stationary in his fingers.

"I will bring your secrets to light soon." He silently declared before he got to work.

* * *

><p>With Chifuyu<p>

"Man, I'm tired. Good thing I managed to find a train home." The elder Orimura sighed as she closed the door behind her, turning the lock on the entrance before she flicked on the lights to the doorway and took a small breath.

"I'm home." She whispered quietly as she made her way to the kitchen, flicking on the lights while she went to the pantry cabinet opening the doors with a light pull exposing the assortment of snacks and cooking ingredients filling the shelves. Chifuyu's stomach grumbled again, the pilot rubbing her forehead which was slightly hot from all the sudden flow of information regarding the kidnapping attempt and the appearance of the stranger…none of her thoughts entered her brain as she stared at the packet of instant ramen that sat on the top shelf, looking down at her while she moved her eyes down to the bunch of cooking ingredients and back up to the instant ramen.

"Hell no, I am not going to instant cook you ramen…no matter how tired I am." She deadpanned, squashing the temptation as she grabbed both the packet and a bag of lettuce along with a few pieces of chicken bits from the fridge, placing the three in front of her before she got to work with them. Cutting the lettuce and washing them while dumping the ramen into a pot of water left to boil at the stove, Chifuyu got started on taking the lemon and removing a slice of it before she placed the lemon in a small bowl, putting it in the fridge while she took the washed lettuces from the chopping board and dumped them in watching the pot boil for a bit before she grabbed an egg and broke it at the side before dumping it in the pot. Chifuyu then took the packets, removing the one that said seasoning and throwing it aside she instead brought the packet with dried pieces of vegetable and the packet's unique sauce, putting them both in the pot with the rest before she waited for a few minutes. When she returned from placing her bag in her room, the pot was already steaming indicating the food was ready as she turned off the kitchen stove and brought out a bowl pouring the ramen into the bowl and placed it on the small table, Chifuyu placing her hands together rubbing her palms with the chopsticks in hand.

"Itadakimatsu."

Finishing her meal, Chifuyu made her way up the stairs passing by the living room on the way before she paused to stare at the entirety of the room observing a spot on the floor next to the sofa where years ago she had knelt down on that fateful day, the memory of her parents sparked a flare of anger as she gritted her teeth a little before she turned away and continued up the stairs to the second floor and to her room. Walking down the hallway she passed her brother's room which was right next to hers, Chifuyu stopping abruptly in mid-step as she turned to glance at the empty room hidden behind the door.

"Ichika…hopefully you get home soon, Chifuyu-nee is feeling pretty lonely now." She muttered as she walked into her room and grabbed the fresh set of nightwear on her bed, moving into the bathroom. While she was doing so, her thoughts went back to the stunned look that Anastasio had about the music box when she showed it to him the man seemed to freeze as though unaware he had such a possession on hand. Chifuyu stepped into the shower and placed her used clothes over the shower's glass barrier before turning on the hot water, the shower glass being overtaken by the steam as Chifuyu grabbed the shampoo bottle and washed her hair, her thoughts still focused on Anastasio's ghostly smile when she mentioned his father…as if all happiness and warmth of his mother's memory vanished and was replaced with loss. But what stood out about her visit with the stranger was the fact that she had actually agreed to give him the box for a very detailed explanation of the song and its possible meaning, Chifuyu was confused...she had never given up something important unless the benefits were equally important and also critical to understanding the situation, in fact when she thought about it her usual self would have actually said no to such a illogical deal.

_"I was curious to see what the deal about the song was and I just...shit." _The IS pilot stopped, her hand hesitantly hanging over the soapbox as she brought a hand to ruffle her wet hair over the falling water from the showerhead. Realizing what she had done, the woman sighed again as she made a mental note to return to Anastasio the next day and actually get some real information out of him before her time ran out. Speaking of the time, she would have to talk to her brother as soon as possible and try to explain the current dilemma she had on her hands with the German army...of course she'll leave that last part out of the story, her sibling did not need to know the kind of life she lived and this was for her brother's own protection. Sighing for another time, she looked back up at the showerhead with wondering eyes before her thoughts were made known.

"Who are you, Anastasio?" She asked no one in particular before she grabbed the soap and continued to shower, pushing the thoughts of Anastasio aside for the next time she saw him.

* * *

><p>With Anastasio<p>

The night was young, no doubt about it to the young man who had seen the presence of God and revived into a world of new intrigue. Anastasio always fondly remembered how he wished that someone would ask of him a great undertaking of a task, and here he found it. Scribbling the symbols on his paper as he took time to examine them, he had taken some time to observe the way the symbols were carved on the dial wheels and still no luck deciphering it. He sighed as he placed the box down, the pen and paper laid to rest on the table with the various possible solutions and some other plausible meanings of the symbols, he had gotten further than the codebreakers that was a certainty when he unlocked the first puzzle.

"Summer 2014…the period I died. This can't be a coincidence, the box contains something. Most likely personal if I have any theories right now for what could be in it, I get the feeling I should not reveal what was in it to anyone outside of this room." Throwing his hands in defeat, Anastasio took the tiles and began to reset the puzzle hearing a satisfying clack as the lock slide back into place securing the box before he nestled the container underneath the covers of his hospital bed, laying a restless hand on the top to secure the safety of the box shortly before he gave a yawn Anastasio turning his head to look up at the dark night sky and the clock that hung just beside the window.

"1:30 am…hm, that puzzle is certainly hard to crack. I should get some rest for tomorrow, I imagine the guards have retired to the staff room for the night." Anastasio stretched his arms once more, feeling the crack of his fingers as he wiggled them freely for a while before he drew the covers over his body and placed the pillow back behind his head as he laid down, closing his eyes.

"Hopefully I can get a good night's rest." He muttered before sleep took over him, the sleeping man unaware of a rustle in the nearby trees overlooking his bed. Standing on the large wooden branch, with a hand holding on to a pair of night vision binoculars falling at her side after noticing Anastasio going to sleep was a young girl in her early twenties dressed in a blue colored maid dress with an apron stained with oil and grease dirtying the white piece of fabric while wearing a set of black flat shoes and pockets donned her apron with heads of various tools jutting out of the large pockets, but the most notable thing of all was a headband with metallic bunny ears attached to it pulling her strange purple hair back and ridding herself of any uneven strands of hair on the sides of her head, her free hand twitching uncontrollably as the woman stared ahead with red illuminated eyes and a wide uncomfortable grin like a Cheshire's cat.

"Found you."

End


	4. Blame, Set it Right, Bunny Issues

IS: Valkryie

Author's Notes: The fifth has been installed into this story, thank you again for the visits and viewing of this story.

Tabane Shinonono was a person I thought of being the definition of neutral, I mean who does an IS for a member of Phantom Task due to their knowledge of family members? Although I liked her, I am still deciding what to do with her backstory as for a person who introduced such a deadly technology called the IS, and the influence on her family.

Also regarding the whole idea of having a victim of child abuse struck me when I realized that Chifuyu and her brother were abandoned out of nowhere, and I honestly think that such a backstory would have a bit of impact on the oldest child most of all.

I am also absolutely sorry that I spelt the Mondo Grosso championship so incorrectly, I think I added an e instead of an o.

Disclaimer: I do not own IS the animation work and the novelization, they belong to the creators and I love things this way.

* * *

><p>The next morning…<p>

"Uhhh…" Ichika groaned, stirring in his bed as he felt the pillow sucking his head into the cushion before he blinked several times to make sure he was awake, his eyes opening slightly before retracting because of the crust that gathered in his sleep as he tried to lift his arm to rub it off only to feel his arm bones grate against his muscle before a sharp shock jolted the man out of his sleep Ichika hissing as he laid uselessly in his bed once more, his eyes squinting instead to sharpen his vision before he turned his head to look around the small room that he was lying in a sad feeling rising in his throat as flashes of the day before decided to invade his thoughts, the young child gritting his teeth as he recalled his useless struggle against the IS leader and the feeling of powerlessness filling the void in his mind when he was lying in the back of that vehicle after he was kidnapped. His anger taking over, he clenched his fists hard before his injuries retaliated by sending more shocks of pain into the stubborn child as Ichika yelped at the disconnected feeling to his limbs forcibly asking him to stop struggling against his injuries and rest, the child eventually giving in to his body's demands as he laid back into the pillow and looked up helplessly at the ceiling.

Ichika did not even manage to get some decent sleep, his eyes holding bags from the thoughts that invaded his mind ever since he woke up from his injuries which were luckily minor except for both his arms that were squeezed by the IS operative who kidnapped him. His normal spiky black hair was ragged now, some locks sticking to his cheeks and forehead from the sweating that he experienced while he tried to sleep...his efforts in vain as nightmares of his abduction haunted his dreams for most of the night. He could not count the various times he woke up with a start, sometimes yelling out his sister's name as he dreamt up alternate endings to his abduction some of which involved his sister dying or being captured instead, and due to him being a male was unable to pilot an IS to save her and Ichika even found his dreams torturing him with images of his sister asking him why she was abandoned by him, the list was endless. Ichika shut his eyes tight, vanquishing the images from his troubled mind before an image of his sister's tearful face over him appeared in his mind's eye saddening him further.

"Chifuyu-nee…" He muttered sadly to the roof of the room, wallowing in his self-imposed failure as he replayed the events in his head over and over again like a movie, when he stepped out of the school and to his kidnapping and finally to the events that led to his rescue from the warehouse where they were going to keep him and the man and woman who were hurt trying to save him, his worried eyes wandered aimlessly around the bare walls and finally resting on the window that overlooked a small park with some trees planted nearby, stretching as high as the fourth storey while wondering what he did wrong as questions bubbled to the surface like a continuing rhythm.

Did he do something wrong? Was he wrong to even step out of school that day for the tournament? If he had stayed at the school and instead opted to send a message of good luck and to tell him all about it, would he have been safe from the kidnappers instead of being shoved into the back of the van being delivered to Phantom Task? What use was he if he couldn't defend himself against a few attackers coming for him to get to his beloved sister? Were all his efforts to train and protect his sister with his strength worth nothing?

Each question seemed more daunting than the last, possibilities and scenarios of various endings beginning to surface from the back of his mind and into his thoughts despite his efforts to stop the flood of thoughts, Ichika felt each question of self-reflection begin to torment and rip his own decisions asunder with every question ringing in his eardrums like a nagging feeling of regrets. Ichika helplessly continued to bring reasoning to his unsound mind, his thoughts coming up with various theories.

Chifuyu-nee would not be angry, the whole thing wasn't my fault, I wasn't strong enough because they were IS pilots and the men had caught him off guard and in force when he resisted against their grip...Ichika soon found himself embarked in a furious battle with his mind, his reasoning fighting against his own swirling emotions that screamed their protests and 'ifs' at his face refusing to believe those logical statements and facts that the trouble teen shot at himself. If it were any normal human being, they would not have felt much guilt but would be thankful that their older sibling came to rescue them from being kidnapped when they know it was situation out of their league. Ichika Orimura was not a normal human being, guilt had always resided in him ever since his father and mother left them in their own home for reasons unknown and how it greatly saddened Chifuyu to the point that she closed her thoughts off, even from her own brother that continued to love and care for her the same way he always did before their parents' disappearance. Up until this day, Ichika still had no idea why they left and as years went by with his sister not saying a word nor willing to discuss it, was the subject shelved for what Ichika assumed to be the rest of their lives…a constant reminder for an unknown purpose.

That still did not excuse Ichika in his own opinion for being too reliant on his sibling for assistance, for years he had to watch his own sister struggle and give up precious hours of her time where she could spend it with him, instead having been forced into a corner to look for work and odd jobs to support the two of them. Of course some of her employers eventually found out the family problem and gave an increase in his sister's salary, which she gratefully accepted to use as savings…but the fact remained that for most of his short life he had been living a somewhat comfortable normal life, something he owed to his sister so much that he took up cooking as a skill to be learnt so he could at least help his sibling in some way if he couldn't work. Of course she appreciated the thought, so he learnt how to massage so that he could help his sister relax when she came back home from work and tried to focus on her studies…Ichika could not think of any important life skill he learnt over the years that did not help his sister at all.

But it wasn't enough, yesterday had shown him that. He was helpless against an IS, and he knew it well enough. He also knew that he wasn't able to defend himself against so many men when they tried to kidnap him…and succeed, because of which forced his sister to give up her chance to become the champion of the Mondo Grosso championship just to save him. Him, the brother of a big-league IS prodigy…and he let her down by being captured so easily.

Was he a useless brother?

The last question seemed to hit Ichika hard, the middle schooler shaking his head in denial of that last query as he tried to shove it all away, but the question came on stronger.

_Was he a useless brother_?

Ichika decided to try and ignore it, his eyes searching the end table and even attempting to reach for (and failed miserably) the television remote as he took a quick glance at the clock only to find to his dismay that the channels on the TV were still closed and won't open for another hour, Ichika felt his heart sink in despair.

_Was he a useless brother_?

"I don't know."

_Was HE a useless brother_?

"I said I don't know."

_A useless brother?_

"Stop…" Ichika pleaded, his hands unable to grip their knuckles as he laid there beads of sweat pouring down his forehead as he shook his head violently closing his eyes to wipe away the question in front of his eyes.

**USELESS BROTHER…**

"Enough!"

"Woah there, watch the shouting boyo…it's bloody past eight in the morning!" A foreign voice alerted Ichika to the stranger, his head turned immediately as his eyes opened wide to regard his sudden visitor standing at the entrance holding his only uninjured hand in front of his face while another arm was cast in a sling around the stranger's neck, the man supporting himself on a single crutch with one of his legs wrapped in a cast as the mysterious stranger was dressed in a grey overcoat overlapping his hospital shirt and pants, a single slipper worn on his uninjured feet as the man stumbled a little into the room lowering his hand as he did so stunning Ichika as he recognized the upturned collar of the overcoat and the familiar ruffled hair.

"You're-!" The stranger simply nodded kindly as he drew up the single chair facing the bed and sat down with ease, placing the crutch carefully to the wall within his reach on his left as he arched his back sighing in pleasure at the popping sound of his back being properly joined in place as Ichika winced slightly from the action, the man turning his head to his left and right for a few moments before he faced the young boy with his sharp educated eyes intimidating Ichika slightly from the analytical gaze as he sat on his bed silently, the man with ruffled hair tilting his head at the action while his eyes continued to bounce up and down Ichika's figure with avid curiosity making Ichika shift in his bed nervously as he tried to break the silence first.

"A-Ano…"

"You're a very polite man, also a person who is troubled and often depressed. The bags under your eyes are showing while your eyes continue to show nervousness as well as your fingers constantly drawing circles in the bedsheets, which were prepared by a sloppy staff member who obviously either forgot how to make beds in their own home or the other option, that is most likely true…you were having a nightmare last night." The man's statements made Ichika take a metaphorical step back, his eyes widened slightly as he looked at the corner of his bed where the sheet was ripped from the corner down exposing the bare mattress underneath as Ichika felt sweat form at his brow, the man tapping his head with his finger in contemplation before he continued nonchalantly.

"I am very sorry, I always jump to conclusions that are often wrong and so I justify by trying to sound right my name is Merle, Merle as in 'black bird'. I asked the nurse for the name of the person who was the victim of the kidnapping I stumbled upon and she was kind enough to give your name, a pleasure to finally meet the brother of the legendary pilot Chifuyu Orimura after a day, it is humbling really to meet the person who saved my life." Merle spoke with a kind tone replacing his cold speech from earlier, Ichika feeling himself relax a bit around him as he bowed his head politely in reply to his statement like he practiced it a thousand times before.

"I didn't do anything. I simply pointed out where you were."

"Yes you did, and it led to you saving my life…let's not waste each other's time with formalities of who is the most polite. You saved me and credit's due for helping in my rescue." Merle said with finality while giving a smile to cheer the boy up before he looked over at Ichika's bandaged arms, seeing them lie numbly at the middle schooler's sides with a fairly big cast over each limb securing it tightly in a permanent position, trying to help the bones straighten out and regrow without the use of slings.

"Where are your slings anyways? I thought staff members cast and hang your limbs up slightly in the air." He commented at the missing slings hanging from the metal ring over the bed, where a curtain rested at the corner near the window as he shifted his weight in the chair feeling the rough hairs bristle his coat.

"The nurse must have taken it away." Ichika replied, conversation ending as abruptly as it started with both men falling silent after Merle nodded in understanding. Before the silence could unnerve Ichika for the second time this morning, Merle suddenly asked a question that threw him off.

"What is this IS system I keep hearing about?" Ichika's mind cut to a blank, his eyes turning wide as plates while he stared incredulously at the man in the overcoat, Merle waited for a few seconds before he decided to pose his question again to the young boy feeling like his question may have instigated the trauma from yesterday. Ichika however snapped out of his shock and threw his body upright to look at his visitor properly while his shock was slowly wearing off.

"Huh?! You've never heard of the Infinite Stratos?" He asked disbelievingly still sputtering at the thought of someone who had never ever heard or seen an IS before, Merle nodding as he shed his overcoat feeling the cold wind slowly losing its cool and he let the coat slide over the back of the chair bringing a hand to scratch the back of his head sheepishly letting out a frown.

"Well, I only heard of it yesterday when I saw it for the first time in my life."

" O-Only yesterday during the kidnapping? For the first time in your entire life that you encountered an IS?!" Ichika sounded faint as he tried to process this new information while Merle casually looked at the boy, a silent relief washed over him when he saw that Ichika was not hanging on to the events yesterday at the warehouse. Merle frankly was quite happy it turned out that way, he had heard the boy chatting to himself no doubt from the angry short words that he sprouted he had been beating himself up for a wrong he never committed. Merle knew the feeling more than Ichika would ever realize, but that was a secret he would keep from the boy and his sister if they tried to poke around.

"Yes, is there a problem with people not knowing what an IS is?" He asked sternly, narrowing his eyes to intimidate the poor child who nervously gulped at the change in aura from Merle as the older man smirked underneath his mask of hostility, seeing Ichika cringe was something he always felt like doing when someone was being rude. The last person he did that towards was his father and…well, he knew how that turned out for him in the end with a knife stuck in his chest.

"U-Uh, n-no sir!" Ichika said apologetically, Merle just shaking his head at the child before he waved his hand courteously at the apology sighing once again.

"Look, it's a honest mistaken assumption that you had and I would not take too hard. Just say you've never heard of someone having knowledge of an IS, and I would give you an explanation. Now ask me, ask me why I am a person who has no knowledge of an IS." Merle spoke energetically confusing Ichika all the more, this man was strange in his speech patterns and actions…a bit erratic and eccentric for the young middle schooler who just went along with his request.

"O-okay...why do you not know about the IS suit?" Merle looked back at the boy before he stunned the boy with yet another statement of absolute seriousness.

"Because I'm not Japanese." He deadpanned, causing a new kind of silence to absorb the room as the level of awkwardness began to rise as Ichika could only have a look that would been a cross of shock, slightly offended and confusion together while he stared at Merle who continued to stare at him blankly. Both men were soon interrupted by the door opening as they turned to face a stunned Chifuyu Orimura holding a bag of food in her hand and a sports drink in the other looking at the scene before her, Merle being the first to speak to the surprised woman with a chipper tone.

"Hello again, Miss Orimura…would you care to join us?" Merle gestured towards the seat, rising up from his chair as he grabbed his coat dusting the backrest of the furniture while facing Chifuyu who seemed to recover from her surprise.

"O-Oh, I was just coming to talk to my brother about something important and…"

"If that is the case, I have something important to do as well. I shall take my leave." Merle spoke politely as he grinned lightheartedly, grabbing his coat and brushing past Chifuyu as he leaned towards her ear and spoke a few words that made Chifuyu look at Merle worriedly as he waved his goodbyes at Ichika before departing leaving the two siblings alone to themselves. Ichika, confused by the silent exchange simply followed Merle's departure as he disappeared by the window while he turned to see his older sister immediately in her thinking pose the event confusing him even more.

"Chifuyu-nee?" He asked nervously, prompting his older sibling to spring to life again as she placed the bag and drink on his bed before dragging the chair to the bedside by the large window overlooking the view of the city, dismissing his concerns with a comforting smile.

"It's nothing, Ichika. I need to tell you something important about the next year… but first," Ichika felt uncomfortable now, his body shifting nervously while his sister took a lunch box out of the plastic bag placing it on the bedside as she grabbed a pair of chopsticks from a holster, pouring a cup to bring it to her brother's lips as he gratefully accepted the drink gulping down the water letting out a sigh of happiness as the liquid refreshed his parched throat earning a grateful smile to Chifuyu as he wiggled his injured arms. "You have to eat, hospital food is somewhat a bit of a joke." The IS prodigy spoke as she took back the cup and set it on the table, putting the sports drink beside it before Ichika expressed his gratefulness again.

"Thanks Chifuyu-nee, you're the best." Chifuyu had to hold back a small blush as she opened the box and picked up a piece of salmon with the chopsticks to feed her brother who ate it merrily, his sister giving him a spoonful of rice combined with gravy to his mouth.

"Ichika, open your mouth already."

"Ah…" Ichika gulped down the food chewing slowly as he felt the sauce spark a delicious taste, the middle schooler nodding in satisfaction.

"You like the food?" Chifuyu asked, smiling inwardly at her brother's face lighting up when he tasted the food showing that he was impressed with the make-up. She held back her relief, looks like her cooking had gotten better since the last time she tried to make up to her baby brother for all the cooking despite her limited experience with cooking a meal…she giggled slightly at the memory of her brother's horrified face when he saw the kitchen's state. Ichika nodded, leaning his head forward slightly to let his sister wipe his lips from the stray grains of rice and gravy that stuck on the corners of his mouth.

"It's good, Chifuyu-nee. But you wanted to talk to me about something serious, what is going on? And who is that man who visited me back in my room?" Ichika worriedly asked as his sister held up her hand to silence his other questions as she placed the food on the table, curling her middle finger into a ring as she brought her hand to face Ichika.

***Flick***

"Ow! Chifuyu-nee what's going on-" Ichika rubbed his forehead before his sister glared at him to keep quiet, Ichika had a stunned look as Chifuyu grabbed the collar of his hospital shirt and pulled him towards her body into a hug, Ichika was left stunned by the actions before he felt his sister grip his shirt tightly and buried her head into his shoulder the boy's eyes widened when he heard a sniff from his sister before he wrapped his hands slowly around her, comforting her.

"Chifuyu-nee…" He started only to have his sister squeeze his injured arm making him feel pain.

"Don't, don't you dare Ichika Orimura…don't you dare say that yesterday was your fault. I know you, my dear little brother…you were blaming yourself once again for something you never did. You're getting predictable in your thought and personality, that's why I'm able to tell from just seeing your face which gives everything away." Chifuyu whispered softly in Ichika's ear, the boy squeezing her back in response as he bit his tongue unable to even say anything to his sibling at all as he kept silent letting his sister speak her mind.

"Ichika Orimura, you want to be strong I get it…you want to protect me, I get it. But never, ever say that you're weak just because you can't pilot an IS or that you're ordinary like any other person on this earth…you're my brother damn it and I won't let you beat yourself up because you're strong yourself, Ichika."

"Chifuyu-nee…"

"I'm leaving soon, I won't be here for a year to take care of you…so you have to get stronger if you truly want to protect me, to come to my aid when I need someone to lean on when I myself become weak. Regret for horrible actions are admirable, but not everything is ours to blame when there is no one to be blamed in the first place." Chifuyu glanced upwards from Ichika's shoulder to see Merle standing behind the shutter-drawn window near the corner, a faint smile dancing on his lips as Chifuyu gave a nod of thanks to the man as he withdrew himself from the sight leaving the two siblings truly alone. Chifuyu recalled what he had told her from earlier before he left the room with a ghost of a smile as he said so.

**_"He has the same look as I did, tell him to lose it."_**

However enigmatic this Merle was, he sounded like he had a similar experience with family...which did raise even more questions beside who he was. But for now, Chifuyu thought as she continued to hug her brother while seeing his face brighten up significantly since she walked into the room, she had a family of her own to take care of right now.

* * *

><p>With Merle<p>

"All went well, good thing she caught on." Merle spoke as he chuckled at the touching scene he stumbled upon after he came back to ensure everything was alright for the two before he saw the hug, the man smiling dimly in the bright morning sun as he saw Chifuyu nod in thanks while he waved back before disappearing...god did he love helping people to happier endings. Speaking of which, he did recall that before his revival he had been told that he would influence the lives of three people, but God had not told him who they were...Merle however had a suspicion or just a hint of premonition that there was more to Chifuyu Orimura than he first thought, stumbling unto a kidnapping scene with two siblings of the same family being involved in the event was not some fateful or predestined meeting...in fact it was way beyond coincidence that he would find out about that so soon.

"God works in mysterious ways indeed." Speaking of strange coincidences, he recalled something important as he walked back to his room his steps becoming softer to a slow creep, making sure his slipper did not slap the floor loudly for what he was about to do next.

Merle paused at the outside of his ward door, his hand squeezing lightly on the doorknob as he opened it reluctantly shedding his coat to toss it on top of the bed with the music box in hand, making his way to the chair and sat on it while he took a very deep breath releasing it into the air as the sunlight began to glare brightly to welcome the morning of a new day. Hearing a snore coming from the bed nearly startling the young man, Merle looked back to his occupied bed with a sigh as he rubbed his forehead in thought. Lying in the bed, the covers pulled over her by Merle to give the figure protection from the blast of cold wind, a familiar woman with purple hair and metallic bunny ears protruding out of the covers slept soundly probably for the first time in a long time with Merle bringing a hand to stroke the purple bangs before he sang for the woman watching her stir from her sleep before her tiredness took over her senses and lured her back into her dreams with each verse.

_I know you've suffered,_

_But I don't want you to hide_

_It's cold and loveless,_

_I won't let you be denied._

_I want to reconcile,_

_The violence in your heart_

_I want to recognize,_

_Your beauty's not just a mask._

_I want to exorcise the demons from your past._

_I want to satisfy the undisclosed desires in your heart._

"Sleep well for now, you've earned it for the suffering you have received." Merle closed his eyes and merely listened to the chirping of the birds.

End

Author's Ending Notes: That is all intense, I'm trying to move the story along but the fact of the matter is that in such situations like that, the aftermath normally has people asking whether if they stayed their involvement in something it would have changed the outcome. I know when I did mistakes, I would feel the impact of being wrong and wonder if I could do something different even though the situation had occurred.

I want to also get with the thoughts of making the character a person new to religion, well to answer that question…firstly it would be the thing that to make this OC turn to God made him an already matured character in the terms of that memory where he cornered his father. Being stronger and everything, anyone who had put up with abuse for years would have taken the knife and run that man through, no matter the faith or religion because they chose to murder. But I wanted a character that could tell the difference that even in his blind anger did he choose to confront the man and walk away instead of the normal stab and regret action. And that makes him a perfect person to be a game-changer, someone who has seen the one of the worst aspects in life and was starting to understand something before he died…that violence ruined his family's life and knowing you would further ruin your own by murdering the cause and becoming the by-product to further violence.

I also thought of the songs to use and having the first verse of the song build a home by ben cocks, it rings out something and it can somewhat be akin to the home of the OC. The house needs you inside, a family…the whole happy though sad guitar tune seemed to make me feel like the song was ironic. To say it in words is hard, search up youtube's build a home by ben cocks to see what I mean by the tune.

Well that is enough of the moody stuff, on the other hand I am just going to say that the next chapter would have a time skip…yep, I said it. I can't think of having a year without Chifuyu and Ichika.


	5. Loss, Responsibility

IS: Valkyrie

Author's Notes: Well here is the next installment to the IS: Valkyrie! I hope you guys are enjoying this story so far, after that explanation of some of the reasons behind my own creation of the character and stuff I feel a lot more refreshed. Hopefully the month of January had some good times, cause it's ending soon and hello February which means many things for the Asian race…guess what it is.

Ding ding ding, it's Chinese New Year! Bring out the champagne and all the traditional red words of prosperity, cause we're gonna literally paint the town red! To all the Asians out there, have a great celebration of your New Year and to the Europeans…just have a toast to the Asian brothers who are enjoying dinners with families, will ya?

Anyways, I did say that I would feature a time skip at some point but it seems it would take up the next chapter while I wrap everything up in this introductory arc, I am hoping you can read and see what I can improve.

As to why Tabane's here, read on to know!

Let's get ready…to Infinite Stra-gasm!

Disclaimer: I do not own the animation series and the light novelization of Infinite Stratos nor do I wish to…, 'cause it would suck harder than they did for the story with fanservice episodes if I owned it. God I hope the light novel is not like that, don't spoil the experience…

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><p>Phantom Task<p>

"What do you mean the kidnapping didn't go as planned?" Squall rubbed the bridge of her nose as she inquired the two captains before her, each of them shaking slightly at her roaming eyes glancing over them with a hidden fury as she sat in her chair grabbing the glass of wine that sat on the table beside her, taking a gulp before one of the women spoke up.

"We're sorry Lady Squall but we had an unforeseen circumstance-" Squall held up her palm at the captain ordering her to stop as she drank her wine, opening the bottle for a refill as she continued to speak in understanding.

"Yes, I heard the report and saw the footage from our IS pilots before they were destroyed by Orimura. It seems that you may not have done your job, explain to me how is it that a man could have appeared out of nowhere in the middle of a secured building, take down a Phantom Task operative and proceed to have the whole German military coming after us." Squall eyed each of the two, her head shaking in disappointment as she saw her captains flinch unable to come up with a reply before she waved her hand at them drinking her wine once more, settling it down on the table with a clink.

"I am disappointed, but at least the objective was achieved in its own way. However the sudden circumstances must not be repeated in an operation similar to this in the foreseeable future, let's hope that the distraction we had placed was worth the effort…you've done well, not as successfully but you've done well. Take a few days off and I expect you to report back to me in top form, dismissed." Squall ordered as the captains saluted their leader, the duo leaving the well-dressed woman to her privacy as she took another drink before she left her seat and moved to the door at the back of the empty hall opening it to reveal a well-furnished bedroom with a fireplace and even complete with a collection of wine on the side as she placed her cup of wine on the nearby table as her hand danced over the laptop and opened it, turning it on to show a progress bar with files and details filing down the screen on the side. Smirking to herself, Squall heard a rustle from behind her as she felt a pair of arms encircle her waist as she let out a mock sigh.

"What now, Autumn? I have an entire cache of government articles to read." She said with false boredom as the hands began to roam around her body, one groping her breast while the other began to be more daring as it descended down Squall's dress the older woman sighing in pleasure as it began to move to her bare leg, the hand about to enter the gap in the dress only to be lightly tapped by Squall, the woman smirking as Autumn let out a frustrated groan as the pressure on Squall's exposed back left leaving the woman in peace.

"Autumn I'll play with you later, I need to see if this is done…after that well, that's all up to you." She said seductively hearing a girlish squeal from Autumn as she smiled at the other woman's antics, turning back to the screen as she gripped the glass of wine again grinning.

* * *

><p>"Merle-san…"<p>

"Hm?" Merle kept his eyes closed in silent meditation as Chifuyu leaned against the wall of the hospital ward, dressed in a casual black blouse with matching jeans snapped together with a large brown leather waist belt over the blouse the tail slightly hanging off the buckle, arms folded together and staring intently at the bed where her purple-haired friend slept soundly uninterrupted by the privacy of the room as Chifuyu glanced at the window looking at the morning sky. Merle sat in his chair, his hand wiping the front of his face while crossing his only uninjured leg over his leg cast staring blankly at the wall behind her when he answered, Chifuyu jabbing a finger at the figure in the bed snoring lightly in bliss as the covers began to lift and settle again.

"Is that who I think it is?" Merle raised an eyebrow in reply unsure of what to say, unaware of the trembling fist that lay hidden behind her back as the subject of the conversation continued her rest.

"I do not know what you're talking about." Chifuyu merely stormed over to Merle's position on the chair and tore his hand away from his face before she gripped the man's collar, her light orange eyes now brightly burning with an unknown expression as she jabbed her finger at the figure once more not taking her glare off Anastasio who simply shrugged his shoulders at her gesture.

"What's **she** doing in your room?" She asked again, tightening her grip and bringing Merle's face closer to hers staring him down as Anastasio held his ground and spoke again with all seriousness.

"I don't know what you mean, look this is awkward. You're getting too close to my face." He said as he tried to change the subject, failing to lighten the tense atmosphere that seemed to skyrocket with Chifuyu shaking him by the collar a small blush forming on her face as she kept her angry expression overriding her own embarrassment at the close proximity of their faces.

"Do you have any idea, what you've done?" She growled at Anastasio who looked at her with a genuinely confused face as he pointed at the purple-haired girl stirring slightly from the conversation before she relaxed into the blanket sheets. Unbeknownst to the two, the strange woman was opening a stray eye as she heard Chifuyu's growl rouse her slightly, the purple-haired woman feeling energy coming back to her rose pulling the covers away while rubbing an eye reaching for the hairband with the bunny ears resting on the table beside the bed, her hand grasping the hairband and paused as she stopped herself from placing the headwear over her head as she reconsidered, the woman then stuffing it into her dress pocket instead as she jumped off the bed stretching her hands again pouting cutely at the interruption of her nap.

"Ne, Ne, who's been interrupting my beloved-" She turned towards the two stunned characters in the room, her half-awake eyes suddenly widening as she saw Chifuyu's face close to Merle's before she covered her mouth with her hands in shock, pointing a trembling finger at the pair across from her.

"C-Ch-Ch-Chi-chan…what are you doing with that man?" Chifuyu paused as she looked again at Merle her brain taking a few seconds to register that she was close to the man for the second time, blinking in surprise at the distance before she removed Merle's collar stepping back to lean against the wall folding her arms again while looking away from the man at the door hiding her expression. Merle on the other hand simply readjusted his collar as he turned his head away from Chifuyu, ignoring the pilot's presence for the moment as he looked straight at the purple-haired woman who had yet to recover from her shock still holding her finger in the air as she moved it between the two of them.

"Uh, Miss…"

"Chi-chan, is he your…your…**boyfriend**?" The purple woman emphasized the last word, Chifuyu instantly shivering as she realized what her best friend was about to do as she turned towards her with her hands raised in defense as the purple-haired woman crouched to the ground, before suddenly barreling at the IS prodigy with an inhuman speed.

"Chi-chan is a grown woman!" The woman screamed in happiness before Chifuyu drew her fist blushing at her childhood friend's antics before a resounding sound of fist meeting flesh and bone echoed through the room.

"That's not it, TABANE!"

* * *

><p>Merle's hospital room, an hour before the visit…<p>

"Aww, he took it with him…that's not fun! Now I can't investigate what that box was." The girl with metallic bunny ears pouted childishly as she skipped around the room, pulling open the end table drawer and taking the piece of paper out of its resting place and brought it to her face as she stared long and hard at the various symbols of different shapes and strokes, twirling around in a circle before plopping down onto the bed scratching the back of her light purple hair in mock sadness as she looked at the paper once more, before she burst into a happy grin.

"I don't know what they mean!" She cheered nonchalantly as she placed the paper back down, the girl then moved to the chair and sank down into the seat with a sigh as she ran a hand through her locks of hair considering her next move. The man had disappeared for an early morning stroll likely keeping the box with him as he left the room due to its importance, which was what she got for sleeping on the job!

Sighing, she decided it was about time she got some privacy to herself the woman relaxing into the chair while letting out a satisfied moan at the comfort of the chair luring her into sleep again as the woman felt her eyes begin to flutter and close slightly before she brought her hand to slap her cheek lightly, jolting her awake as she jumped out of the seat and stared at it intensely while facts began to seep into her head.

"_Snap out of it, Tabane! You are here for the box, the Box!"_ Tabane yelled mentally in her skull, the numb feeling residing in her brain beginning to withdraw its iron grip on her mind and retreated into the back of her head, Tabane feeling lighter as she settled down on the bed instead the hard mattress forcing her wide awake as she shivered at the cold touch instinctively bringing her hands to her shoulders, shaking uncontrollably before a soft thud alerted her to her surroundings as Tabane lifted her head up and immediately scanned the room her bunny ears perking upwards at the joints as she did so.

Looking left and right to see no one there apart from her in the room, as Anastasio having went outside for a quick wander around the hospital against the doctors' recommendations of course, the young woman took off her headband with the bunny ears and placed it in her lap as her happy nonchalant eyes were replaced by a look of sadness while she reached into her pocket, pulling out an old photograph in her hand as she looked over the content with some measure of happiness tracing a finger down the photographed face of herself, a younger version with the same purple hair as her mother's which she being the only child who carried the gene dressed in a bright white short-sleeved shirt with a purple skirt that stretched to her knees while she held up two hands above her head like bunny ears…she chuckled, she liked bunnies from a young age ever since she saw one at the pet store during a visit to town. She had remembered how much she hoped to get her own pet in her own home when she grew up, to which her parents smiled and told her to keep up that dream of a pet because they couldn't accept a pet due to their busy schedule and school kept the members busy all day round.

Those were better days that the Shinonono family had in their infancy of having a child. And being the oldest of the Shinonono family, Tabane had many responsibilities even when she was little particularly when her younger sister was born to the family a few years later. Tabane remembered when she heard the news in her middle school and how much joy she had, the girl celebrating a sibling to share happiness with after being alone for several years and the world welcomed her one and only sister, Houki Shinonono. The following years were stable with Tabane exceeding expectations in her education while her sister simply studied diligently at her own pace as Tabane always instructed her to do, the advice sticking to Houki even to this day despite their falling out that day…Tabane felt her heart sink further but she pushed the event out of her mind not wanting to dwell on such a particularly good memory, the words exchanged between the two were so childish back then but Tabane felt at the time that having her sister not get involved in her work was for the best, especially how the government protection program further damaged the relationship before their violent exchange years later. Not a day went by that Tabane wished she could turn back the clock to correct that moment, but of course the damage was done and she would apologize to her sister when she finally had some time to herself instead of running away from the world government like she always did, the woman hanging her head over the photo as she clutched it tightly to her chest feeling her eyes water.

"Houki…" Tabane muttered as her finger fell from her cheeky innocent face to fall on another child standing beside her outside their parents' family dojo in the hill at one of the steps, Tabane recalling the koi pond that resided at the side of the dojo where she and Houki would feed the fish with smiles and spend time talking sometimes about their problems and achievements, Tabane could not count the number of times she approached her for advice about a problem she could not solve.

"Houki…you know that we're family, right?" She said softly as her finger brushed against the face of a brown-haired child sitting with a ribbon tying her hair back in a ponytail while looking at her sister with a smile, the older Shinonono felt a small tear escape her eye to drop on the photograph staining the two faces with water.

_**I hate you, Tabane-chan!**_

"Right?"

With Merle

"Ah, what a great walk I had today! Breaking conduct is a refreshing thing sometimes." Merle happily stretched his arm up in the air trying not to shed the large overcoat he wrapped around his body, his right leg stretched outward from his seat on the park bench in the hospital grounds the young man observing the cast that covered his right foot and ankle while he stared at the crutch that rested beside him, a reminder of his injuries as Merle recalled what the doctor said when he awoke regarding his injuries.

"Lucky to have my right leg covering my left from the falling rubble, my ass…I was hoping I wasn't pinned down and my arm was at least trapped not crushed by the damn debris. Ah, God is good." He muttered to himself, his eyes moving up to see the white clouds that seemed to move past his head and in the distant orange blue sky Merle taking the opportunity of the chance of peace to think back on his personal mission.

"You gave me a mission but I do not know what to do next, I need to know how…I humbly pray that You can show me the path to what I must do." He prayed with a whisper, his eyes closed and hands clasped tightly before he relaxed his tense muscles opting to lean back and leave the rest of his path to God. Thinking back, he had expressed disbelief that he was chosen for such a mission despite the fact that he was recently deceased a day ago and soon sucked himself into a world of even more danger and intriguing backroom politics…Merle sighed, running a hand through his messy locks as he arched his neck to eye the night sky being encroached by the rising sun before his thoughts ran from his past to his present problem.

"I am in Japan."

Now don't get it wrong, Merle had to admit that the idea to visit the sights of Japan in general and experience its weather had come to his mind when he was asked in elementary where he would visit, he had put the location on the list under the top 5. Years and stories shared by people who went there however were different, time changed many things about the country in recent years…especially since he heard some of the strangest things and it wasn't just about their hilarious commercials like those in the Southeast.

Japan, the country responsible for its sexual freedom to the point they reserve certain choice shows just to satisfy the older generation who still have it on for things like that…in fact some of the things he had heard from his friends were unsavory like breaking moral boundaries of siblings, some more ridiculous and had no sensible logic to why it existed like creating lolis. Not that Europeans were classy about it either with their definition of 'golden showers' during intercourse, god he had stumbled upon it in a library under the arts section and what he saw that day remained rotting in the back of his brain for good.

"I am in Japan, land of utter disconnection and is the runner up alongside America with a larger selection of hardcore pornography." He buried his hands in his head, groaning loudly as he looked up at the sky questionably with two queries on his mind. What was he supposed to do here, and why did it have to be in Japan?

"Maybe it's just something I've missed, I am new to the faith after all but still." Merle scratched his head dismissing the topic for now, his wonderment at being in such a place he wanted to go since childhood was unnerving and daunting for him as he watched some cars in the distance rushing their owners to their workplaces much to Merle's own confusion about the lifestyle of this place, the man heard stories but since he was here…

"Time to see what this culture is really about, maybe on the way I can find a church here…" Merle muttered as he rose from his seat, the wind beginning to become chilly as he tightened the grip on his overcoat and made his way back to his room, taking the elevator up to the fourth floor and made his way to his room thoughts still circulating in his head as he recalled something important.

"I just recalled, I need to visit Chifuyu Orimura's brother to thank him for warning his sister about me…I can do that in an hour I guess." He said as he stopped outside his room door, his hand digging into the inner coat pocket to draw out the item he kept on him since he received it a look of curiosity eyed the dial wheels at the strange symbols still unknown to him before he heard a sound coming from inside his room, Merle immediately becoming on edge as he glanced at the window which had the shutters sealed raising a few alarms in his head.

"I left the shutters open this morning. Someone is here, and most likely for the music box." Stepping to the side of the door with his body leaning up against the door placing his ear to hear a short part of the words being spoken inside, his hand gripping around the box as he shoved it back into the coat pocket and opened the door allowing a tiny slit to put his eye through to locate the intruder. It didn't even take long as he saw a figure slumped on his bed, Merle immediately pushing the door open slowly his ears twitching at every sound he made as he removed his slipper and kicked it across the floor into the room leaving his bare feet to rest on the cold hard floor, the man feeling a chill run up his body as he entered the room slowly keeping his eyes on the figure before he had a view of his mysterious visitor.

"Who is that…is that a woman?"

Lying on the edge of his bed, her legs still hanging off the ground while her body leaned slightly backwards to occupy some of the inner space of the hard hospital bed ensuring herself not to fall off was a young woman in a strange dress, what made her seem more strange was the hairband that laid beside her with metal bunny ears attached to the headwear. But although the sight was enticing to any other man to have a woman in their bed, Merle was not a hormone raging person which suited him just fine to be less sexually active than others. Seeing the woman's body rise lightly, Merle suspected that she had been sleeping in his bed for a while after he went out to the garden which meant most likely she was searching for the box but instead waited too long or didn't know he had taken the box out, Merle cautiously making his way to the girl before a snort made him freeze before he closed the door careful not to disturb his visitor, hearing a sentence that stopped him cold.

"Houki-chan, no…don't leave me alone. I lied, I don't want to be alone anymore and we can be a family again." The girl muttered in her sleep, a glisten of a tear alerting Merle to see her face as he felt a pang of guilt for overhearing such a private thought but steeled himself as he moved towards the bedside, hearing more whispers and whimpers from the young woman as she shivered and shook with each thought being darker than the last.

"Houki-chan, I love you."

"We're sisters, we have to stick together…I did wrong, please…"

"Don't hate me Houki, please."

"I lied for your own good, I wanted to see you again but…they won't let me."

"No! Please, my family is the only thing I have. Don't take them away from me! Please!" Merle shivered at the last part, his eyes looking sadly upon the woman before he noticed her hand grasping onto something nearly crumpling it as Merle carefully pried open the fingers to reveal a simple photograph, the man feeling a bit of dread as he turned it over to see a pair of girls one being the woman in her younger years while a young girl with brown hair and a ribbon in her hair tied to make a ponytail looking up at the purple-haired woman who held two hands up above her heads comically while smiling.

"This photograph…it seems this woman isn't a big threat like I thought, but I still must be cautious if she's coming for the box." He whispered as he shed his coat placing it on the chair beside him before he glanced again at the photograph seeing the two girls sitting on the wooden steps, his head looking back at the woman in silent contemplation.

"Who did this to you?" He asked the cold stale air, the man deciding to place the photograph into her dress pocket only to be repulsed by the dirt and grime on her clothes as he saw the oil stains that sullied the dress, his eyes narrowing a little as he noticed signs of exhaustion on her face and the callouses on her fingers and hands alongside blisters and what appeared to Merle's own disgust, bruises that had altogether faded away but not completely as they were still black under the surface, and from a glance at it Merle looked closely before he withdrew back from the woman as he saw pieces of skin flaking off while spots of ruptured arteries dotted parts of her palms, dried up and ignored for most likely weeks. Merle feeling his hand quiver as he looked at the visible bags and slightly bony cheeks that were on her face.

"She wasn't tired and decided to sleep." He said as he folded the photograph and placed it in her hand, curling the fingers inwards as he stood up a hateful look in his eye at the poor woman. "She was forced to overwork in the past and was put under heavy duress causing her to have nightmares. Her eyes are baggy like months of lacking sleep and some traces of malnutrition but the horrible thing is that this isn't new, how did this woman put up with years of this…torture of not being able to sleep or even eat right? You starve yourself by eating less and soon you forget it, it becomes a habit you never abandon completely…same concept with pain when you stop thinking about it, this woman was previously asked to keep on working and from her tools developing something…but what? What was so important to make her overwork and lose her family?" Merle felt his hand clench into a fist, anger burning in his soul as he turned around unable to wrap his head around the subject before a rough hand grasped his own soft palms relinquishing him of his anger as he turned back to see the purple-haired woman gripping his hand with a weak squeeze.

"Houki-chan, don't go…" Her voice began to sound hoarse, Merle feeling sadness once more replace his anger as he gripped the hand a bit tightly before he released the hand, tearing off the sheet as the purple haired woman frowned and turned inward settling herself in the middle of the bed rolling her shoes on the white sheet staining it with dirt as Merle sighed, removing the woman's shoes and placing them below while he used his hand to gently guide the odd woman around before he finally settled her into bed.

"There, damn she is hard to maneuver around! I think the nurse should be here in about…" He didn't finish as the nurse walked in, carrying a tray of food in as she nodded at Merle before she looked in surprise at the visitor in the bed, Merle grabbing her mouth as he put a finger to his lips silencing her as the staff member stared at him demanding an explanation for the intruder appearing in the room before visiting hours.

"I'll explain it later, but right now she's suffering from mild malnutrition and needs some food. Also I require you to get a doctor once she's feeling better to take a look at her." Seeing the nurse about to protest Merle gave a forceful look as he spoke in a low growl tightening his grip on her mouth.

"Get her food and aid, now."

* * *

><p>Present<p>

"…and that was that. The doctor took a look at her and left me with the food, citing that I was lucky enough to call upon medical aid immediately or those injuries would have caused more serious problems." Merle finished as he reclined back on his seat eyeing Tabane who was clutching her cheek pouting at her childhood friend while Chifuyu sat on the bed in thought as she looked at Tabane whining.

"Chi-chan's a meanie!"

"Well I expect that you won't be doing any more of…whatever it is you do, Miss Tabane or your hands will not heal. I also had the doctor give me more bandage rolls, plasters and some antiseptic for your wounds." Merle took the cup of water and downed it in a gulp, his eyes falling to Tabane with a hint of suspicion while he clutched the music box near his lap hiding it from sight as he glanced down.

"Eh, Chi-chan, does he know who I am? Everyone seems to know." Tabane had a questioning look in thought while Chifuyu turned back to look at Merle a strange look on her face.

"Yes, everyone does know…" Merle, feeling uncomfortable by the stare decided to play his hand as he kept up his façade, nodding innocently as he brought a hand under his chin.

"I came from a place in the Middle East, I had only moved to Japan recently and I had no experience or even news of the outside world before so yes, to see this…IS system is terrifying yet intriguing by design, a very powerful weapon so I've been told." Merle shrugged as he looked at Tabane for an explanation, prompting the woman who now took the nearby tray of food and began to munch down on the meal to pop her head up with confusion before she nodded.

"Yep, in fact I created it." Merle's eyes turned to dinner plates while Chifuyu stood up from the bed, turning to face her friend with a look of concern.

"Tabane!" Chifuyu interrupted the purple-haired woman before she was stopped by Tabane's held up palm as all her warmth and childishness disappeared, giving the IS prodigy a serious look as Merle looked on confused. Growling in frustration, Chifuyu gave a glare of her own as she continued with a lower tone.

"Tabane, think carefully…we still don't know who this man is and where he's from, for all we know he might be-"

"He's not a bad person, I can tell from his eyes."

"Okay, uh, the third wheel is lost here. What do you mean, you created the system?" Merle interjected hoping to steer the whole subject away from this tense topic, the two women facing him with the full force of their glares before Tabane spoke again.

"I made it. I made the IS system, and helped distribute it all over the world." Merle froze, his mind racing with various emotions while his mind became entangled processing the new information that he let slip his mask of confidence before sinking into his seat, confusing the two women in his presence as he looked up at Tabane and then down towards his lap again, a slight shake of his head before he found his voice.

"You made…those things?" Tabane nodded in reply as she chowed down a piece of potato with a fork, his mind at a blank as he felt a clutch on his throat. "And you managed to get these things…actually distributed around the whole bloody globe to play and toy with, and also to fool around with other people's lives just for this piece of revolutionary technology?" Merle spoke hesitantly as he watched Tabane continue to eat without a care in the world, her expression a mere blank as Merle looked on in disbelief before Tabane placed her fork down on the tray.

"Honestly, I don't really give much care for what people do with my piece of technology. Besides it is an advancement for our civilization in terms of good and evil, no one can say the IS system is totally a bad thing or good thing." Tabane glared at Chifuyu when she cleared her throat at the last words, the other woman looking at her before Merle just felt static before he tried to lower his anger.

"What kind of good can it do, when all it does is to end lives?"

"The armies are holding off their wars for a while, pooling resources to spend on these IS cores I sent to their governments in order to better understand how they work and make conventional ones. After that, I just wait and see what the results are from their research and give them credit." She said nonchalantly as she sipped on a cup of water.

"At the same time other problems still circulate in the world and such introductions of this IS systems cause more conflict nullifying it. Does this IS help cure something, is it to prove something to the world? What is it that makes it so unique and seemingly non-threatening? I also would like to ask what justifies you to push this discovery to the world when you could have seen this technology and lock it away?" Merle brutally questioned as Tabane glanced at him with a silent glare that told him to be silent, but he would have none of it standing up to meet Tabane's glare with one of his own that spoke of loss and hurt. "How can you capitalize on machines of death just to see the chaos it sows?"

"I gave the government what they wanted when I introduced the IS system to the world, and what they do with it is none of my business nor do I care what people do with it. That is the truth and all there is to it." Tabane professionally stated as Chifuyu felt it was getting out of hand, the pilot about to retort something of her own but Merle instead beat her to the punch with a resounding slap echoing through the room.

"You just don't care, is that how you see the whole damn world?!" Merle yelled as Tabane simply stared at him with an incensed gaze, not bothering to touch her cheek.

"The government assisted with that."

"And you think that's what makes this right? To justify all of the blood spilled by the IS systems out there, to talk to the families who have to deal with IS systems being used in war destroying all in their path?" Merle questioned only to be rebuffed by Tabane, who was starting to get annoyed as she held her glare.

"That was their idea, not mine. I gave them the cores to do as they pleased." Tabane argued back at the injured man before he threw his hand up in the air.

"And so you think that you can sweep your guilt away under the rug, because you gave the government what they wanted and you even assisted in promoting them…are you insane?"

"It's not a matter of guilt for giving them such weapons of mass destruction to play with, I gave them what they wanted to advance or cause chaos for their civilizations." Tabane insisted once more, her own professional mask beginning to crack as Merle continued to push his point across seeing her lose some of her patience with him before he slapped his hand on the bed glaring at her, losing his cool.

"Because of people like you, I lost my home!" The sudden declaration resounded through the ward, silence soon overcoming the three as Merle glared straight at Tabane who had a surprised look in her eyes as he nodded, gripping the sheets in a fist as he growled out his words.

"That's right, I've lost my home because of the results of people who leave decisions to others who showed that they could wield power when they clearly lusted for it. It is because the people dare not take a stand and decide to be the ones to avoid responsibility nor take charge when the system was clearly wrong, I hated that. My home overrun by tyrants, people went with the flow of whoever that was in charge out of fear mostly but also out of twisted religious motivations, the young were corrupted to fight in the streets against a people they knew little of. The whole concept of war was twisted because of ideals and mistaken beliefs, while in my home the rulers live in a fantasy where they could play God. You say you are not responsible, you let these events happen because you believe that when it is passed on to someone else, this piece of technology to others…it absolves you of the blood on your hands because you were indirectly involved in them being distributed, but Tabane you are wrong in your damn assumption that nothing is your fault by introducing the IS system. Your hands look bloody enough than those injuries, you aren't helping anyone including Houki." At that statement Tabane narrowed her eyes and clutched her hands, balling them into fists as she glared up at Merle who stood over her a hand ready to retaliate.

"How did you know that?"

"You talk in your sleep. And I know that whoever this Houki is, she would still be upset with you because of what you've done. If I can say something about you, is that she doesn't deserve an inhuman cold-hearted person like you." He spat, seeing Tabane flinch a little at that made him satisfied as he turned to the door.

"I-"

"Enough. You have told me enough, Miss Tabane. I will be taking another walk, if you will Miss Orimura…find me in the garden if there's any word from the German embassy, I imagine they won't let me walk a free man." Merle muttered in a burst of anger, giving no time for either woman to argue with him as he stormed out clutching his crutch tightly as he walked out of the room leaving the two to their thoughts before Chifuyu felt her phone vibrate in her pocket as she took it out only to frown at seeing the number being private as she answered.

"Yes?"

"This is the German ambassador speaking, I believe that you spoke to the officer yesterday about the deal and would accept?" Chifuyu narrowed her eyes as she brushed some of her messy hair back, keeping her cold demeanor as she answered dryly.

"I don't have a choice."

"Exactly so, a deal struck is a deal to be fulfilled. We'll be escorting you to the airport soon, I hope you took the time to say your goodbyes to your brother I assume?" The ambassador replied coolly, ignoring the growl in her tone as she replied back sternly gripping her phone tightly.

"You have to earn the right to even ask those questions." She shot back, the ambassador chuckling at the fiery woman before he spoke again on the phone.

"Good, we understand each other. My government will be in touch with you soon, and as for your brother…I've heard from the military officers that having our mysterious stranger be put together with your brother in one place would save us the trouble of watching over both in separate locations, also the fact is that he will be placed in house arrest while your brother can live his normal life as he pleases. Now that our business is concluded, goodbye Miss Orimura and glad to do business…see you in Berlin." Chifuyu couldn't reply to that as the ambassador hung up the phone, the pilot turning towards the bed to see no one there anymore except the missing contents of a metal tray lying on the dirtied bedsheets as Chifuyu scratched the back of her head, recalling the argument between Merle and Tabane as she felt a headache come up. Tabane, whether she looked like it or not, did not exactly have a nice childhood same as Merle and having the latter come and confront her on this level spoke volumes about her childhood friend in terms of secrets as well as the man, but the former held particular interest. Chifuyu had known Shinonono for a few things, annoying, very childish and refusing to admit responsibility for serious incidents…the last she found was the most damning in her personality, in fact Chifuyu felt shocked when she saw Merle slap her so viciously and talk her down. Tabane was a person of many shades, even Chifuyu herself could not even pin ally or enemy on her at all but only held a measure of belief that she knew what she was doing, but the way she spoke of the government was bitter like she had been through hell and back…what was Tabane refusing to tell her?

"Screw it, I'll have to tell Merle that his prediction about the embassy's actions were spot on…just not how I would imagine it to be though, tying him up with my brother. Although maybe it may not be so bad, he was helping her out by taking care of Ichika-" Chifuyu stopped that particular train of thought before her mind went elsewhere, instead opting to take the pen and paper from the drawer and began to write.

"Take care of Ichika, Merle-san." She muttered.

End

Author's Notes: Well, I would appreciate some comment to know about this chapter because although I finished the arc and can move on to the main story featured in the beginning stages I am kind of afraid that this conclusion would not satisfy you. Please let me know what you think of it.

Now I wish to discuss the character Tabane Shinonono. As I said before she is neutral, but after realizing some things she was involved in especially some implicated stunts pertaining to the Silver Gospel Incident's aftermath I decided to give her a bit of a hint of evil she has done. The fact that she would even make an IS for *Spoilers to those who haven't watched* Phantom Task and have a possible involvement in the Silver Gospel made me think that she was evil in a way, think about it. You have the bloody power to make cores for IS all over the world, no one can do it but you which is why the governments hunt you, the cores so scarce governments don't admit anything if an IS is stolen from them, and the fact that unmanned cores are not Phantom Task's specialty.

To be honest, I hope you guys don't get mad, I hate Tabane Shinonono for her absolute lack of responsibility and the fact that she can love a sister but not care about her technology being misused. Yes, people can argue that the technology being used for evil was the government's choice and that she gave them what they wanted…but to say that she wasn't aware of what she was doing and giving to them is not logical. She knew very well what she wanted to do and she manipulated certain events as implied with the White Knight Incident when Chifuyu spoke to Tabane.

I added the fact that Merle is a refugee of war was to be the counterbalance, the one person that does what Chifuyu would not do, when the White Knight came into place from what I read on the wiki it was Chifuyu who piloted it. Seeing that Chifuyu was tolerant and more open to Tabane's manipulation, I decided having Merle to argue and challenge her on this level of global influence was hard to do and if you have anything to say, please do message me so I can clarify any wrong information I have in this Author's Notes section.

Well, that sums it up for this arc and I'll be moving on to the main. See ya'll later!

NapoleonVI


	6. One Year Recap(Fast Version), First Day

IS: Valkyrie

Author's Notes: Hi Hi, NapoleonVI is back in the house! So uh, how's the new month treating ya'll? Hopefully you are still enjoying the promises of the New Year in the second year, and are all good…this is an interesting turn in the previous chapter with the conversation with the two characters Tabane and Merle due to their own opposing viewpoints and hope you enjoy it. So now is the one year time skip, this time just to be clear:

Ichika was 13 but would be 15 due to the fact I made sure that I stick to the actual storyline in a way so he will have had been 14 sometime during the timeskip and became 15. I have to do more significant research and hopefully this can help in my interpretation of the world of IS, I honestly would appreciate some people to ask some things about it but know that I cannot answer everything nor can I answer some questions correctly, so if my answer doesn't satisfy it is better to consult others and come back to me on thoughts.

Secondly is the fact about the music box will not be shown, in fact I will stash it until I have some idea of how to phrase its significance and thirdly,

I am actually going to now focus on the main arc after Ichika gets his grubby hand on dat IS and get it off so hard the thing lit up…just a joke.

There will be some inconsistency in terms of age for Chifuyu and Tabane (maybe) but still I make doubly sure that it is almost up to accuracy as I can with the events of the story. Just to say that this is a quick recap of the one year, and I will go into detail about it in bits and pieces soon so enjoy this summary of the first day, as accurately as I can describe it from memory.

Let's begin

_Italics, "Thoughts and some flashback quotes"_

_Bold and Italics: Flashback_

Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos the animation nor do I own the light novelization of this work except for my OC who's mine, mine mine…and if I, the world would end when they actually say they have a proper storyline…

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><p>One year later<p>

IS Academy

"Is that…"

"What's a boy doing here anyway? I thought IS units can be piloted by girls…"

"He's the only male who's ever managed to make the IS respond to him!"

"_How did I end up here?" _Ichika could only wonder to himself as he felt a shiver run down his spine once more for the fifteenth time this morning, the heavy breathing of several people around him scaring him a little as he clenched his fists instinctively as he used the corner of his eyes to maneuver his surroundings just as his sister taught. The stares boring a hole into the back of his head made things much more uncomfortable in the classroom as female voices literally whispered like a sea of voices, making Ichika want to curl into a ball and retreat to the corner of the room…he wanted to be anywhere but the room right now as he stared up at the clock in silent pleading.

"_Chifuyu-nee, Merle-san…any of you guys, please come save me from this torture!"_

Now how did our dear friend Ichika end up in such a state, was a very simple story. Since his release from hospital months after the kidnapping that would have resulted in very unpleasant surprises, Ichika was put under the protection of the German embassy guards and escort who would follow the growing boy to his middle school scaring some of the students who saw a black car with men in suits flashing badges and papers to the principal saying they were on a protection program of schools in order to hide the fact that Ichika was a high-value person. So Ichika had to spend the majority of his middle school years being watched and monitored from school and home, but out of the two it was home in which he felt a bit more uncomfortable due to the agents and the one unlucky stranger who appeared into his life.

Anastasio Merle, a strange man with a penchant for being slightly sociopathic that it scared the younger Orimura from his way of speech, was forced into house arrest where he was kept in one of the bedrooms with the freedom to wander the surrounding neighborhood while under heavy guard…a problem in which the guards being lazy would ignore Merle's demands for going outside. Thus whenever Ichika returned from school he would be greeted by Merle who was either busy with the weights and some gym equipment to keep up his fitness, or he would be in the middle of cooking something small and light…a skill that surprised the young Orimura such that he even volunteered to teach Merle a thing or two about more advanced dishes while Merle agreed to teach him about some physical fitness.

Over the year Ichika felt himself getting to know more about the man though his antics were less than the social norm, once Merle pickpocketed a guard's pistol without the latter knowing about it and with the clip he stole proceeded to lock himself in his room, and before Ichika knew it his weekend was ruined by a bunch of steps running up the stairs and gunshots firing wildly in the room next door. No one was hurt of course but Merle had to pay for the damages when he actually could find work, which of course he did not have despite the embassy giving him the chance to join their ranks…however Merle had a knack for staying hidden in the crowds, losing the agents sometimes on the rare outings that he managed to get and he would disappear in front of them in order to get back at them.

Ichika also noticed another strange thing being the interaction between him and his sister regarding Tabane Shinonono, Merle would always have a suspicious look on his face whenever Chifuyu-nee mentioned her friend and question her constantly about her movements to which Chifuyu-nee and Merle would then go into a bit of an argument concerning Tabane, eventually ending on slightly sour terms but Merle would always say he didn't blame Chifuyu for disagreeing with him.

"_Miss Orimura is doing what she thinks is best for herself and her friend, I can respect that. But she has to admit that Shinonono is an extremely irresponsible woman who cares little for her actions and she must answer for it one day. I just hope she can see it."_

Anastasio left it at that, his mood souring for that particular night which surprised Ichika who still had no idea of Merle's past except for the facts that he already knew about him. Their year soon took a turn for the strangest when Merle received a call from the German embassy during the long holiday that Ichika had before his high school placement exams…

* * *

><p>"<em><strong>No." <strong>_

"_**Please Mr. Merle consider your own options. You have absolutely nothing to do by sitting in this house continuing house arrest, we could use your particular talents in our ranks." The ambassador's voice was heard clearly in the room that Merle had stayed in, the door locked tight by Merle when he received the call. Ichika leaned up against the wooden barrier to the room, his ear placed against a glass cup that was situated at the door to help make out the voices as he glanced back making sure no one was coming up the stairs before he resumed his eavesdropping.**_

"_**I am not going to Germany, taking one's sister and guardian away at the same time…can't be a coincidence don't you say, ambassador? Plus you've never interacted with me before since you gave the order to restrain and place me in this house to take care of the boy, if you can call it that." Merle replied calmly, Ichika feeling a nervous feeling crawl into his stomach as he continued listening.**_

"_**We don't expect you to agree with our methods, neither do we expect you to defy it either…all we ask is that you lend your hand to us who protect you from harm." The ambassador shrewdly replied, Merle having none of it as Ichika heard the clatter of a chair inside the room.**_

"_**Goodbye, ambassador." Ichika backed off and held the glass behind his back as the door clicked open, Merle turning his head around to look down at the boy with a questioning gaze.**_

"_**Hi Merle-san, so uh…how are you doing?" Ichika nervously fidgeted as he met the man's stern gaze, his fingers drumming against the cup held behind his back as Merle just shrugged back scratching the back of his head while he replied lazily.**_

"_**The ambassador wants me to join some special tasks group because of my…unique skills. I turned him down, rudely if I may add and he would not like it but he has to deal: Chifuyu is paying for that debt and I am a third party who isn't associated with their deal, so he can't touch me." Merle moved past Ichika, bumping him lightly as he made his way downstairs calling back to Ichika as he did so.**_

"_**I'll be making lunch today so just sit and enjoy your weekend Ichika, you guys don't exactly have enough rest on your off days from school. I'll call you when it is ready." Ichika just watched the man disappear around the corner leading to the kitchen leaving the boy alone, bringing a hand to his forehead and wiping small beads of sweat from his brow.**_

"_**Phew, that was close I thought I was a goner." Ichika let out sigh of relief he had not been discovered before he realized his hands were free, the boy suddenly looking down at his bare hands in realization as he sank to the floor.**_

"_**He knew." Ichika simply groaned out.**_

* * *

><p>That time was the only time that he heard about the German ambassador from Merle, but anything else was drawn to a blank. Then came his entrance exams for high school and that was when it started a whole chain of events that would thrust the unknowing teenager into a series of misunderstandings, pain, and a whole lot of girls when he touched an IS suit after he got lost in the building unable to find his exam hall and to his surprise and shock, the IS responded and activated which was soon discovered by several women who were scientists in charge of the IS academy entries. Which all now led to his current situation, being trapped in a classroom surrounded by girls his age while he dealt with the uncomfortable silence of whispers and intrigued stares, particularly from a certain girl with dark hair sitting a few seats from him nearest to the windows and a ribbon in her ponytail staring intently at him a mix of annoyance and anger.<p>

"What did I do to deserve this?" Ichika muttered to himself as he sank further into his desk, feeling the urge to cover his face out of embarrassment from being the hot topic in the room before the classroom door slid open and the whispers vanished much to Ichika's brief relief but only to disappear just as quickly when a bunch of mutters began to circulate around the room again but the subject did not involve him.

"Eh? Who is he?"

"What's another guy doing here?"

"He looks pretty…"

"_Wait, he?"_ Ichika suddenly felt a wave of happiness wash over his body as he had a great weight lifting off his shoulders before he looked up towards the door, hoping to catch a glimpse of this mysterious male who could save him from the stares and whispers of multiple girls. Maybe, he thought, maybe he might have found someone in the same situation as he did and that he could find a male friend to finally hang around and talk normally with-

"Ichika, why are you looking at me like I'm food?" And just like that, Ichika's hopes and dreams for a male companion were utterly shattered by the appearance of a familiar face that he did not expect to show up in an IS academy, Ichika recklessly rising up from his seat in surprise as Merle stood at the doorway holding a blue clipboard in hand with a pen hanging out from the corner dressed in a sky blue short sleeved shirt patterned with a Celtic white cross design on the back of his shirt and a Gothic 'R' sewed on his only chest pocket, dressed in a pair of blue jeans which Ichika suspected was his personal interpretation of wearing proper attire to an academy…Merle had a sense of following rules to a certain extent. Realizing he was still looking at Merle who gave him a questioning glare, Ichika turned his eyes away from the man as he tried to answer his question.

"What? Uh, I was just…uh, ano…I'm sorry." He muttered, Merle just waving his hand at Ichika in a friendly manner as he tossed the clipboard onto the desk shocking some of the students with his treatment of the clipboard as he hooked Ichika over his neck and locking him as the teen struggled uselessly against the headlock.

"Sorry? I may be an assistant but that doesn't mean you have to get all sorry and puppy-eyed on me, Ichika. I didn't take care of you for one year to see you still haven't changed your little attitude." He said as Ichika nodded from the man's armlock, he didn't forget Merle talking to him about self-blame and that the kidnapping was a factor no one could anticipate so he had nothing to feel guilt about, neither should he be upset for Merle's own circumstances. Ignoring the watchful eyes of the girls at the mention of being an assistant, Merle leaned in to Ichika's ear and thought of a way to tease the poor guy.

"So, IS systems are a girls-only club huh? What have you been doing to get this kind of position, Ichika? Looks like that kendo practice in your childhood should give the girls something to look at, yep, all these equally sexually frustrated girls who haven't seen a man become the world's first male pilot…quite to thing to ponder about huh?" Seeing Ichika's ear go red from the implications running through his head, Merle let him out of the headlock snickering at the boy's reddening face as he turned to the class of girls and one guy before he spoke loudly for them to hear.

"All right, girls and boy! Welcome to the IS Academy in Japan, where men are perverts and the women have multi-personality disorder, NOW! I am pretty stunned to see a bunch of females like you sitting here, you guys are babies in the stages of life just learning who you are and what you wish to do and let me tell you all right now: an IS pilot is a deadly art to master, but also it is the most dangerous job career to consider for life as you can die. We don't want that not because you're assets to the government and other sweaty old men living in superiority, but that you guys are the young, the generation who will inherit our legacy and mistakes…which is why I ask you right now! Are you truly ready, cause if you aren't the door is right at my left for you to leave and have a normal life, if you think you can handle politics then stay and I will show you how deep the rabbit hole goes…anyone?" Merle pointed to the door watching none of the girls respond or raise their hand before he nodded grimly, placing his hands on the podium.

"Very well, your teachers will be here soon. In the meantime you can ask me of anything you are uncertain of or something personal depending on the question I will answer accordingly." He stated as a hand suddenly jutted out from the row near the windows, his palm gracing the girl with the ribbon in her hair to stand up staring at him with ocean blue eyes as she posed her question with a hint of respect.

"I want to know what you are doing here, and Ichika-san's presence in this academy." Merle just raised an eyebrow as he looked down at the clipboard, his eyes widening in surprise as he looked up at the young girl again before he responded losing his surprised expression.

"Ah, for that…Ichika's presence in this academy is a mere confirmation of the rumors you may have heard around the school before first lesson, he is the only male pilot capable of piloting an IS and making it respond to him." He spoke politely as the girl with the ribbon took in the information before staring at Ichika intently, making the teenage boy shiver in response from his seat.

"And you are…"

"Oh yes, I forgot to introduce myself didn't I? I am Anastasio Merle, from the East and I am a criminal who's under house arrest by the German embassy." His answer caused many of the female students to instantly fall over in a comical manner, making him chuckle at their antics as he shrugged at the dark-haired girl with the ribbon again. "Well that's what they told me to say, if ever asked. And don't worry, you guys will be exposed to a lot of these classified information so it's good to prepare for surprises." He laughed heartily much to the stunned faces of the girls and Ichika who just slapped his forehead as he watched Merle laugh.

"_Doesn't that count as classified information you just leaked, Merle-san?"_

"Anyways, are there any other questions Miss Houki?" He asked, getting a shake of the newly named Houki who then bowed politely at Merle in thanks before she sat back down putting a hand over her mouth in deep thought while another hand shot up, Merle instantly glancing at the back as he gave a nod revealing a blonde girl with blue eyes wearing a blue headband to stand in curiosity at him.

"I am interested to know what you actually are here for, Merle-san because you seemed to dodge the question just now." She spoke in a very formal tone and a hint of arrogance and nobility in it as Merle tensed slightly, his awareness heightening as he replied with a sweep of his short black locks.

"Well Miss, I can tell that you are from a very noble family and that you have quite a lot of authority in your family due to their position. How far are you up the British echelon?" He asked, the woman seemed to be happy that someone recognized her as she patted a hand on her chest.

"Well I am from the Alcott family, and a representative of Britain. My family is quite close to several ministers in the country and we have access to some of the information that is passed around in government."

"I see, a spoilt brat then." He snickered to himself as she nodded in response to his insult, unaware of the words as she smiled brightly.

"Yes, I am pretty much a spoilt…hey!" She yelled out suddenly upon realization of the words being spoken to her directly, the girl instantly switching to an angry expression as she threw her hands in the air waving it wildly while most of the class laughed it up much to the girl's own embarrassment as Merle waved back at her cheekily with a smirk on his face.

"Sure, princess…let me get out my dollies and we can have a tea party." He prodded fun only to have the classroom door slide wide open, Merle wiping a tear from the corner of his eye as he turned to see the two teachers that arrived for the class while Ichika stood up for the second time again staring at the doorway as all laughter ceased as Chifuyu dressed in a black attire with a buttoned up blouse, office skirt and tie strolled in with another woman dressed in a much more casual attire with glasses and green hair earning some excited chatters from the class as Chifuyu folded her arms at Merle who was standing at the teacher's podium looking at her with a smug look on his face as he stretched out his hand, curling the fingers in and out in a gesture as Chifuyu sighed reaching into her chest pocket.

"Ugh, fine…you win, I'm sorry for doubting your charismatic ability." She said in a boorish tone as she slammed a couple of notes into his hands as Merle just flipped his thumb through the cash, muttering a 'thanks' while winking at Ichika causing him to open his mouth in confusion before looking back at Chifuyu who had a slightly flustered look on her face as she turned towards her brother, the look disappearing as she had an annoyed expression at Ichika who was still standing before he found his voice.

"Chi-Chifuyu-ne-"

***Thwack!***

"Ow! What was that for Chifuyu-ne-" He began to protest before his eyes caught a glimpse of blue flying straight at his face instead of his scalp, the green haired woman just looking at the scene with an awkward smile while Merle just continued to count his money.

***Thwack!***

"Chifuyu-sensei is what you should be calling me, Ichika. I won't just lie down and be nice to you just because you're my brother." She sternly warned her brother as she lifted the clipboard in the air to signify her seriousness in this aspect, Ichika only able to simply keep his mouth closed and nodded fearfully at his sister's wrath before she turned back to the class and began to address them, already feeling a sense of dread as she saw a couple of starry-eyes staring at her as she cleared her throat.

"All right, settle down now! I am your sensei for the next 3 years of your life in this academy, and I am hoping that I can properly teach you all in the ways of the IS system and that you can excel in its use and soon be deployed as knowledgeable and efficient pilots." At that moment the class erupted in a rupture of cheers and all sorts of comments began to fly around the room.

"Is that…!"

"Chifuyu-sama! I love you!"

"Have my babies!"

"Mother of god, the fandom…looks like you have real 'fans' Miss Chifuyu-sama." Merle had to quip in just as the cheers were getting to her, Chifuyu turning her head to draw back a fist and throw it at Merle who had stuffed the cash in his pocket only for him to catch the fist and, with a little mischievous smirk on his face hooked her elbow joint and twisted her arm pulling the woman towards him as she collided with Merle's chest, the young man smiling innocently as he looked at the disabled woman.

"Oh dear, seems you are tangled up Miss Chifuyu," he smirked harder when he leaned over her head and whispered in her ear hearing her breathing grow a bit ragged before he decided to head for the straight up kill. "Well, if you are done introducing the class my room is ready for two…if you're interested." He added with a husky tone, sending a shiver down Chifuyu's spine while she struggled against the lock with more force while Ichika felt his jaw drop at the scene as he tried to process what was happening in front of him while gasps echoed all around the classroom as girls began to blush at Merle while the green-haired teacher began to twiddle her fingers together, trying to look away from the sight.

"Let me go, Merle I'm not playing around." She tried to sound mature and angry, her arm shifting against the lock only to have Merle apply little pressure causing her to growl sharply at him, but at the same time a part of herself get a bit red from his suggestion as it soon became visible with a small streak of red crossing her face before Merle released his grip on her with a shrug allowing her to cradle her wrist which was getting sore from the hold, the whole class staring wide-eyed at his handling of the famous IS pilot as he made his way out holding out his palm in farewell not bothering to stick around any longer instead of doing his job, Merle pausing at the doorway as he spun on his heel to stare back at Chifuyu who was looking at him with a loss for words alongside Ichika who just stood back up again, mouth agape and his eyebrows twitching.

"Don't even deny that did not make you feel good, Chifuyu…sama." He cheekily added as he shut the classroom door leaving the whole room in awkward silence before he smiled to himself walking down the hallway with a snicker.

"Dear diary, jackpot."

End

So that is the first day, I am hoping to make this a bit more exciting so I will have to consult some of the episodes and manga perhaps to help better some understanding of events.

Have a great day

NapoleonVI


	7. Politics, Roommate Disaster, Relaxation

IS: Valkyrie

Author's Notes: Okay, first off I do have to thank a guy who pointed out that I should read the light novels to get a better grasp of the novel so I can have a bit of knowledge to what goes on in the Infinite Stratos universe. Firstly thank you staplesdex2 for the important fact I have overlooked because I figured I could use the first few episodes for referencing, which of course would waste my MB trying to watch it so thanks for the alternative I blatantly forgot.

Secondly is that this arc would focus on Ichika as per usual with a scene or two in between with him meeting and talking with Merle, because Ichika has plot armor and is a Main character…sigh, I have to take a breath here as I may decide to make him not so dense but a bit more aware.

Anyways without further ado, here is the new chapter for IS: Valkyrie!

Disclaimer: I do not own… *phone rings * oh come on, I know I don't own the damn animation and light novels already! They belong to the respective author, I can't own it…no, I don't plan to. You know the reason why-

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><p>With Ichika<p>

"Oh man, my head…"

Due to the display of having to see Merle-san not do a responsible job of being an assistant teacher to the two main mentors in my class, and also as punishment for me standing up in shock while muttering "Chifuyu-nee" under my breath and gaping like a goldfish…I received the worst beating of my head multiple times with my brain cells beginning to die in the thousands as I spent the rest of the first period trying to concentrate on my studies with the incessant ringing in my ear. Luckily for me, the class ended and I did my best to get out of the classroom quickly without stopping for anyone especially seeing my older sister beginning to show more of her irritancy as she stormed out of the classroom after me, if I hadn't looked behind I would have not seen her already making a bee-line for where Merle was…if she could even find him.

"I need some ice. I'll just go to the infirmary for it…" I mutter to myself as I walked on down the hallway massaging my forehead as I heard the dreaded whispers come from both sides of the hallway I was walking in, lifting my head up to look on both sides before groaning once more pleading to the heavens for salvation as figures began to trail me from behind and make way as I continued to make my way to the canteen hoping for a quick drink and rest…

"Ichika." Looks like that would be a problem too, I sigh deeply as I turned around to kindly tell off the person who was brave enough to approach me, most likely someone who was just wanting to ask questions about me no doubt…

"Ichika, I'm talking to you are you feeling okay?" I suddenly snapped out of my thoughts as I finally looked straight ahead to see the familiar face I never thought I would see after so long, my anxiety suddenly vanishing as I let out a genuine smile at the girl with a green ribbon who was staring like I was someone else, a stranger that she knew long ago as I held up my hand in greeting.

"Houki." I felt my throat clench as a weird feeling of nostalgia hit my nerves while Houki had a slightly red face at hearing her name out of my own mouth, confusion hitting me as I looked at her curiously wondering why her face had gone red. Was it from embarrassment? Did I say something wrong with her name?

"So Houki, it's been so long since…six years I think it was." I spoke out, memories of the dojo slowly flooding back into my brain with each flash holding a different memory shared with her from school all the way to our normal days when I would either invite her over to eat and sleep over at my house, sharing various stories about each other's days at school despite being in the same class and sometimes Houki would be kind enough to help me out with my school work whenever I had difficulty…she was my childhood friend who I never got the chance to speak with when she suddenly left her home and town behind, leaving me with more questions about where she was and whether I would see her again. Even the kendo dojo that her father ran with such efficiency and also his temperance with the more difficult students, was shut down to everyone's disappointment…he could remember that last night when instead of a lesson Houki's father initiated a mini-tournament to display our strength and then bid us farewell in a final duel where he fought his own daughter. The strength and speed Houki and her father held as they danced around one another was a match I would not forget.

"I-Ichika, is it okay if we talk." She looked around bringing me back to the present at the amount of faces that were bursting into gossips and more hushed whispers as I nodded, Houki suddenly grabbing my hand and leading me past the crowds that began to make way for us the contact of her hand on mine made me blush a little. Her hand was so soft and tender, just like all those years ago…wait, no Ichika, no bad thoughts! Be a gentleman here, she wouldn't like it if you were thinking like that!

Slipping past the crowds of girls and up the stairs towards the roof of the building, Houki never removed her hand until we reached the top past the door my body refusing to remove itself and simply follow her to her destination as we both stopped at the railing allowing us to have a protected view of the entire school and in the distance where a monorail track ran from the station inside the school building to the main island far away, I was able to spot some of the skyscrapers which were dots or pins of black that rose in the sky high above the rest.

"Wow, the view is great."

"Mhm." Houki simply said as she continued to look ahead in the distance, the both of us feeling the breeze blow in our faces as I breathed an air of pleasure before I closed my eyes.

"You know, I am glad you kept the ribbon even after so long. In fact I recognized you on the spot." I said with a small laugh, remembering the treasured moments once again before I turned to my left to get Houki's opinion instead I saw Houki facing me with her hair casting a shadow over her eyes and part of her face as she held her hands together letting out a nervous breath, making me feel a pang of worry as I placed a hand on her forehead withdrawing my hand back quickly as I felt a heat sear my hand.

"Houki you're burning up, are you okay?"

"H-Huh, o-oh I am f-fine…" She said as she hung her head further, raising her head to show a smile as her face seemed to glow in the midday sun making my heart skip a beat seeing the wind blow her hair behind her revealing her bright expression.

"It's good to see you again, Ichika."

* * *

><p>With Merle<p>

"What the hell were you thinking Merle?" Chifuyu yelled at the man who was sitting in the teacher's lounge sipping on a cup of tea while calmly stirring the inside of the cup, his eyes staring up at Chifuyu's own bright orange eyes smoldering with rage at him Merle just placing the cup on the table in front of him as he clasped his hands in front of his hands, wondering where to start before he came with an answer.

"I do not know." Hearing that answer caused Chifuyu to grab him by the scruff of his neck, lifting the weaker of the two up in the air as she shook him somewhat violently making his world spin a little.

"You were not doing your job as an assistant teacher, that's what I'm thinking that you were thinking! Look the fact is that the Germans are keeping tabs on you, which is why they sent you to my house as some compromise and also into the academy so I could keep an eye on you! I have no choice here, even if you feel tagged and collared!" She reasoned as Merle simply glared at Chifuyu with an emotionless face as he retorted a bit forcefully but not enough to cause provocation.

"I don't like being chained and locked away like some damn asset, a thing to be used…I am on no one's toy but a person who wants to find meaning in his life! I have a mission to do, and I won't have the Germans standing in my way!" He grabbed Chifuyu's hands with a light shake, showing that he won't fight her but instead insist that she let go of her hands. Chifuyu simply glanced at him momentarily before she sighed, dropping him on the floor as he clutched his throat breathing in short gasps before he sat back down on the couch reaching for an empty teacup and poured a cup placing it on the table in front of him, slapping the empty seat next to him on the couch as Chifuyu simply stood where she was arms crossed.

"Would you like a cup of tea, Chifuyu before the next lesson?"

"Not until you promise to behave yourself, and join me for the next period to learn more about the IS system." She spoke bluntly, causing him to wince at her words with slight disdain as he rethought his words and the past year of doing nothing but becoming the unofficial prisoner for the Germans. It seemed that after all those months of waiting for the year to be released, the German ambassador instead insisted that he be sent to Germany and be kept under house arrest until he spilt about his possible involvement with Phantom Task and possibly the kidnapping, according to the ambassador the operatives were smuggled out of their hands and most likely sent back to Phantom Task for recovery much to the military command's own shock that they could lose such high-value assets and cores that could have been used for study. But once again Chifuyu overheard the ambassador's underlying threats to him and confronted the man herself, using her power as a former IS pilot of legendary status to convince the man to just give up his attempts to lure and trap Merle in a tight position instead saying she would put him in the academy with her to protect him, as according to her the academy was a place where countries' authorities were neutralized and no one answered to anyone but themselves…effectively a legal rogue state backed by the Japanese government, once again backroom politics put into play.

"Yeah, I will. I promise, so will you have that cup of tea?" He said with a gesture to the tea, noting that the cup was losing its heat fast as Chifuyu simply grabbed the cup and drank it her face lighting up slightly at the drink as she nodded appreciatively at the young man.

"You did a good job with that tea."

"I am a man of many talents, so I've been told." Merle just shrugged in reply, he never gave much thought to his amount of skill as Chifuyu just looked at him with a different look as she shook her head at him with a small smile.

"I have to admit your stunt in the classroom did not go unnoticed." Merle just laughed it up, his hand tapping his knee lightly as he took his cup of tea while having a flashback of their stunned faces.

"Well I imagined all those girls were taken that their 'Chifuyu-sama' was being hit on by a random guy."

"Actually I was talking about me in particular about your words." Chifuyu simply gave a thinly veiled smile as Merle coughed a little on his warm beverage, holding a fist to his mouth as he looked back at the IS legend who took another drink of the tea as she looked at him innocently with a bit of a teasing underline.

"Well I thought that someone like you performing such a stunt meant something, you don't just do something like that and leave a woman hanging in the middle not certain of what is up and down, left or right…" She wondered aloud, seeing Merle just frown a bit before he got the message that she was posing as he placed the cup down wiping his mouth with the back of his hand feeling the wet liquid stain his skin.

"Hmm, interesting proposal Chifuyu but I don't bite so easy on fast relationships or one night stands." He countered, staring at her with a look that cautioned her to choose her words carefully in saying what was next on her mind to him as the former pilot simply gave a simple slight feral grin as she placed the cup down, a playful demeanor overcoming the woman as Merle felt a little uncomfortable.

"I was thinking about something more…long-term. I'll leave you to it then, but I expect you to show up in the class when the bell sounds." She said as she moved towards the door, barely touching the knob before Merle spoke up behind her a look of curiosity crossing his face as he stared at her back.

"Hey…thanks for the help back with the ambassador, and I'm sorry for causing you such trouble for the past few weeks." He said with a guilty look, the former pilot didn't look back as she opened the door and stepped out of the lounge sliding the door silently behind her leaving the man to his own thoughts as he suddenly rose from his seat.

"Wait, did she just make a pass at me? Nah, can't be." He said as he dismissed his thoughts, sitting back down as he looked down at his wristwatch and set the alarm.

* * *

><p>With Ichika<p>

"Finally the day is over!" Ichika said to himself as the evening sun began to set in the distant horizon, the class sighing in relief as Chifuyu, Yamada the green-haired sensei who led the class and Merle watched as Ichika packed his things quicker than any of the girls leading Merle and Yamada to snicker at his antics while Chifuyu reminded herself to smack him if he did not complete his newly assigned homework for the day. Apparently he had conveniently 'disposed' of his most important book which helped him understand the basics of the IS system and its power, also about the school rules on campus Chifuyu had to smack him hard with the clipboard in order to get him to shape up in his studies due to his not so well impressions during the day with that, while Houki gave a slap of her forehead wondering if Ichika ever did change in the past six years as she left the classroom and back to her room as Chifuyu grabbed her brother by the back of his shirt and held him in place until the rest of the girls left at Chifuyu's behest and Yamada as well, the female teacher then saying she would meet Chifuyu tomorrow as she took her leave of the three remaining people in the room as Chifuyu now faced her brother who was scratching the back of his head in confusion at what they wanted to talk about before the IS prodigy decided to speak first.

"I will have to lodge with Merle for the duration of this three year-period, so for your own personal room where you would be staying Ichika, I can safely say that I have no choice but to assign you in with one of the girls for this period." Chifuyu spoke hesitantly as Merle and Ichika both looked like they wanted to protest only for her to raise her hand, silencing them. "Ichika, as much as I like to have you lodge with another male so as to reduce the awkwardness of your time here…Merle has to be kept under my personal watch due to my deal with the German ambassador concerning him and some other, special circumstances that were connected to him."

"Bow chika wow wow." Merle jokingly sang before the clipboard went for his head, the man dodging out of the way as he held his hands up in a surrender laughing as he did so while Ichika could only look on in concern at Merle's well-being. Much as the young Orimura would hate to admit it, for all the various weird things that Merle did out of the ordinary and freaked the agents out a lot by his erratic behavior in boredom, Merle had actually taken some time to come down and find Ichika during the year in which Chifuyu had disappeared where they would both try and find a topic that they were interested in, and it turned out to be video games so they would talk about some of it…though after all this time he had no idea what this… 'Assassin's Creed' was about but it seemed popular as well as it made Merle smile, and his guardian even promised to find out if it existed so he could buy it for him and let Ichika experience, in his words, the 'magic' of historical fantasy. A few days later after that talk, Merle was even happier when he discovered that the series was still on sale with the latest game, so much so that Merle talked him into buying both the game and console for it with his hard-earned money. Of course he had no chance to play it but he heard that Merle had ordered the entire franchise himself and had it situated in his room, which Chifuyu happened to occupy as well.

"Anyways, I have no choice but to stay with Merle until I can get the ambassador's hands off of our dear friend somehow and the academy is a temporary solution. In the meantime, your room is 1025 and I have the key for you right here…be respectful, if I hear one word, just one word about you doing something inappropriate." She simply glared at him when she handed Ichika the key, the younger Orimura just managed to grin nervously out of fear and reflex as the older woman nodded at his reaction, knowing well enough that Ichika wasn't the perverted kind of brother anyway, the former pilot waving him away as Ichika just gave a sigh and bowed his head before exiting the room leaving just her and Merle in the room silence creeping into the room.

Ichika in the meantime made his way to the dorms building, relieved that he could just be free of seeing his sister again for the day as he went back to his assignments feeling regret that he threw that important book away and for the first day too! He couldn't believe what rotten luck he had as he searched the room plates trying to memorize the number as he finally found the room he would be situated in until the situation changed, or if they found another male other than Merle who could share the room with him.

"Uh, why did it have to be this way? Well, I'm going in." Ichika said with a sigh as he opened the door, dragging his bag in with him as he closed the door careful not to disturb the other occupant in the room as he moved past what he assumed was the bathroom door and exited the short hallway into the main room, and what he saw made his mouth go into an 'o'. The room was firstly well furnished with the beds set up comfortably next to each other with a wooden slider to draw if one wanted some privacy from their roommate, two personal study tables with mirrors also sat conjoined with each other in a single piece of furniture which made it easier for two people to immerse themselves in study or other uses. Ichika felt like he had stepped into a hint of luxury, it was something that you could only find at fancy hotels with this kind of setup the boy settling his baggage onto the ground unaware of the shower noise behind him before he decided to make a horrible decision in his life.

"I'm your new roommate! Please take care of me this year!" Unbeknownst to our soon to be dead hero, his roommate had overheard his declaration as she quickly turned the shower off and made the second mistake of the night.

"Sorry, I was using the shower! You must be my new roommate, my name is Shinonono-" The female voice died as Ichika, who had heard the first sentence was panicking and in his haste had made the third and final mistake that no man should ever do when confronted with the fact that a woman had just used the shower and was stepping out of the door. He turned behind, only to feast his eyes upon the sight of his own childhood friend dressed in nothing but a towel wrapped around her body covering all but the top of her well-developed breasts that bared some idea of its size for Ichika to see, the poor boy feeling his hormones screaming at him as he couldn't move frozen in his tracks as he tore his eyes away from his childhood friend's beautiful body, Houki on the other hand was shaking with her hands clenched into fists as she looked on at her friend in shock the fact of being naked under a towel did not register until she looked back down immediately bringing a hand to cover the top half of her chest.

"D-Don't look, Ichika!"

"Eeehh?!" Ichika on the other hand screamed out to the heavens cursing his unfortunate luck.

* * *

><p>With Merle<p>

"So, this is our room." He spoke awkwardly, his mind unable to draw anything as Chifuyu too stared at the teacher dorm that was reserved for just the two of them. Just the two of them, alone, in a room for three years…

"Well it looks well-furnished to me, I like the way they put the beds with a floor to ceiling wall separating the two roommates and the different study rooms for each of us to personalize and shut for privacy on the other side across the beds…hmm, this is more like a hotel than an actual dorm don't you think so too Chifuyu?" Merle tried to steer the facts elsewhere, his eyes casting a glance at Chifuyu who was unlike him standing rooted to the spot unable to even say a word as her mouth quivered slightly much to Merle's own worry as he quickly grabbed his bag from the floor moving in front of Chifuyu to grab her attention.

"Hey, I'll be using the bathroom first to get a bath…don't peek on me while I do so." Seeing Chifuyu give him a narrow glare in return to his joke, Merle finally muttered 'hallelujah' under his breath before he recalled something the man turning back to see an HD TV hung up on the wall above a large wooden table with drawers underneath for keeping some things as Merle finally let out a sigh of relief, grabbing another large bag he brought with him and settling it on the floor much to Chifuyu's questioning stare as she took her baggage and moved to the bed at the far side near the window, settling in for the night while a rustling and clanking of metal continued to echo from the other side. Curious to what her roommate was finally doing, Chifuyu shed her outer jacket and tie tossing them onto the bed before she made her way to the cover only to be interrupted as Merle came out of nowhere carrying what seemed to be PS4 in his hands along with two controllers, placing them on the table before he sorted out the wires connecting some of it to the console and then the TV slots as Chifuyu looked on confused.

"Ok, I'll bite…what is this?" She questioned as Merle looked up at Chifuyu before he slotted the last plug into the TV with a look of triumph as he disappeared around the wooden wall, reappearing with the flattened bag which seemed to make some noise as he placed it unto the table while grabbing the remote, turning on the television as he switched on the PS4 and surfed through the video/av option to finally show a PS4 logo appearing on the screen showing success as Merle reached into his bag, taking out a game and placed it on the table before he emptied the bag Chifuyu could only stare in shock at the small collection of games that he had, Merle looking back at Chifuyu with a sheepish grin.

"Oh this, this is a small measure of entertainment for our spare time. I call it the PS4."

"I know what it is. Why did you bring it?" Merle could only shrug at that, his hand gesturing at her to her surprise as he looked out at the setting sun before he connected the controllers and waited for the screen to show a reflected picture of him and her in the room, Merle waiting once more before the main menu came in and a set up appeared.

"Well, I guess I wanted to give you some experience of relaxation. Sports are a good way to relax the tension but sometimes a bit of gaming can do some good as long as you balance it properly." He said as he picked up a case, waving it in front of her before he opened it removing the case to bring out the disc sliding it in and began to create his profile entering his name and then making yet another profile this time with Chifuyu's name inputted into the console, Merle simply waited until the screen lit up to show an additional picture and the man highlighting it with his controller to bring up the game displaying the title for his roommate to see, her brow raised as she read the title.

"Assassin's Creed VI: Black Flag? What is that?" Merle simply grinned as he handed her the controller and grabbed his other bag throwing the empty one onto his bed as he took out a towel and spare clothing from the extremely large bulky bag, indicating a hand to the screen.

"Just a game, I assume you're good with the PS system?" Chifuyu nodded, her eyes turning towards the screen as she pressed a button bringing it to the game as the screen went dark before a Ubisoft logo swirled onto the screen, the IS pilot turning back to Merle who had disappeared altogether from the room, leaving the woman slightly uncomfortable as she looked back to see the start menu of the game. While Chifuyu was left hanging with the controller in hand, Merle had gone into the shower and began to wash himself setting the temperature on absolutely cold as he doused himself in the rain of water letting out a sigh of small pleasure before a loud sound echoed from below him, Merle hearing the distinct screaming and thudding of someone crashing on the floor before loud thumps began to sound making him curious as he turned off the water for a while, hearing nothing before he shrugged and continued to shower…unaware that the noise below was the result of an angered and embarrassed tsundere displaying her womanly wrath at one Ichika Orimura who had made man's most dangerous mistakes in the span of ten seconds.

"_Ah, youth is a strange time to love and live. Good luck Ichika, you'll need all the knowledge of women you can get."_ Merle snickered in his thoughts when he recalled the face that Houki had when Chifuyu managed to get him into the second period without a hassle, it was more radiant and glowing than the moody sour looks that she shot at Ichika for no apparent reason…at least to the boy it was. Finishing his shower, he exited the shower and walked into the main room just to hear Chifuyu's voice from the cover of the wooden wall at his bed.

"What the hell did you shoot me for?! Have you no brain about surviving together?!" Merle just paused as he saw the TV screen showing a raggedly dressed privateer clutching his body before he resumed leaping from the trees to chase after a man with a hood, the man simply smiled to himself as he went to the counter and poured out some water.

"And a fan was born."

End

Author's Notes: Okay, guys it's time to see my notes. Firstly you would have noticed that I didn't add some parts from the first chapter which is actually okay, seeing as I want to try to group the events so that it looks like it wasn't so stuffed. If you guys have read the light novel in the first chapter (if not do refer to Baka-tsuki translations for it suggested by stapledex2), I felt it stuffed the whole Cecelia incident in together with the first day thing and the duel between them was already confirmed almost immediately with the story. Yes I do understand that the author wished to introduce the 2nd heroine to the story, but I felt it was a bit too soon to do so…maybe on the 2nd day, but anyways I will recap the first day with a small flashback referring to that incident while I focus on moving the story straight towards the second day and I have read the early parts of it and…I'll admit it it's too much to stuff, I'll try to reduce it significantly so people won't get lost.

That's it from me, see you guys and have a great day.

NapoleonVI

I guess this means you will have Anastasio and Chifuyu shipping, eh? Well finally someone did this. I can imagine the class including Ichika's faces upon seeing their idol and big sis being handled like that.

KH-Hardcorefan4483

For that shipping, hmmm…actually I have thought about it, but I am still unsure of where it goes in which direction but I can see the potential. I will consider it, no promises about it though.


	8. Preparations, Houki's Concern

IS: Valkyrie

Author's Notes: We're here with the main story of Infinite Stratos with a bunch of changes to the story involving an extra guy. Now I am posing a bit of a question, just what does Merle has when he doesn't have anything like an IS suit to help him?

With that thought, I let you guys enjoy this chapter of IS Valkyrie.

Disclaimer: I do not own the light novels and animation works and you should thank the creator, they belong to the proper owners who wrote the manga Izuru Yumizuru…honestly that's it, no sudden surprises or anything just yea…

* * *

><p>Second day of IS academy<p>

"Okay, now we're going into the history of the IS starting from before the announcement of the creation of the system we know today by renowned IS maker Tabane Shinonono…Merle, is there something wrong?" The green-haired bespectacled woman asked as Merle had a frown etched on his face, his arms hanging limply at his sides while a conflicted look shot across to Chifuyu who just gave a stare of her own before she nodded, allowing Merle the freedom of choice as he turned to the class and Yamada who had focused their attention on him, the man clearing his throat.

"I have met Tabane Shinonono a year ago, she and I were…in disagreement about the creation of these machines of death and I have not seen her since." He stated calmly as the class burst into a new wave of rumors and gossip while he turned to purposefully glance at Houki who was sitting near the window as per usual in the front row, seeing her face turn to shock at the mention of her sibling as he leaned against the wall putting his head against the cold surface. Chifuyu now had to cut back in, raising her voice once more to silence the chorus of chatters while Ichika stared right at Merle who gave him a slightly apologetic look that also told him to reserve the questions for later as Ichika turned back to his sister.

"Ok, shut up! Yamada-san is trying to get you to understand the origins of the idea and its development over the years. It is imperative that you get to know an IS and what it is before you know how to wield its power, so listen carefully got it?" Seeing everyone nod, she turned back to Yamada as she continued the lesson going into detail about how the IS was initially designed to handle space work and how it had an advanced HUD that kept track of a pilot's heart rate and various other important nutrients for the pilot. Merle in the meantime had tuned the history lesson out, his eyes closed as he began to filter more information in his mind as words began to circulate and create a web around his consciousness.

"Mission: protect 3 siblings of a family, Status of progress: None, German ambassador is a hindrance to what I have to do but so far all I can even do is sit around and wait until Chifuyu can clear me…but what about last night?"

Dream sequence

"**You have to give up the box, Merle." Merle shook his head firmly, keeping his hand clutched further onto the box as he took a step back feeling a shiver run down his spine as he readied himself and looked down at the dark abyss of water below before he held a smile on his face.**

"**They tried to take me for a reason…I have to do this."**

"**No, don't-" Merle just looked at the shadow pleadingly, his eyes full of sorrow and regret as his hand gripped the gun and as a cold wind blew across the ledge on the falls, the man brought the weapon right to the side of his head.**

**"They cannot have my secrets, so please...please allow me to do this. And also, I am sorry." He said as he fired the gun, feeling his world fade and a sense of falling as the abyss rushed up to meet him in its dark embrace.**

Dream ends

"Dream ends there, abrupt ending no other alternatives…knowing me to do that, it's understandable. Next question is why?" He wondered to himself before he opened his eyes, seeing the class still ongoing as Yamada had paused in her talk striking him as something weird before he took a glance at Ichika only to find him stupefied sitting in his chair as he gave away his attempt to hide his blush as Yamada said the next few words that made Merle's day.

"Well, that, no, that's, Ori-Orimura-kun, you have no need to understand that. I, I don't know. This example. Ah, ah ha, ah hahaha..." She said awkwardly as Merle suddenly realized what she was talking about when he saw most of the class suddenly putting a hand protectively against their chests, Ichika was still trying to process the sudden forced awkwardness of the example while Houki began to glare fiercely at the only boy in the class much to Merle's own amusement as he suddenly burst out laughing, stunning the class with his outburst as Yamada turned to twiddle her fingers together while she looked at Merle's bent form struggling to breathe.

"Ah, uh…Merle-san what's so funny? It's embarrassing to us, you know." She nearly stumbled over her words as Merle just wiped a tear from his eye and waved his hand in apology as he felt the temperature in the room drop several degrees as he felt the stare of women piercing right at him, some more forceful in the glare as he looked to his right to see Chifuyu standing there with a teasing smile on her face as she spoke up for the class of girls.

"Oh yes, Merle tell us what part about the whole explanation of the example affects you?"

"Well…" Merle trailed off as he held a hand to his chin, forming his words in a much more politically correct sentence before he looked once more at the awaiting class who were waiting patiently the girls holding a breath while Houki gave a death glare at him as Merle suddenly had an idea hit his brain before he sniggered internally at his plan.

"Houki-san, if you would so kindly come up to the front for my explanation of what's so funny?" Houki seemed to lose her anger, pointing a confused finger at herself as Merle gave the nicest smiles he could muster as he used his hand to gesture to the front of the class much to the muttering of the class while Chifuyu now had a real 'what's going on' look as he turned Houki around to face the class and began to clear his throat.

"Girls and boy, this…" He gestured to the pair of large clothed breasts of Houki much to her shock as he did an hourglass shaped with his hands. "Is the perfect body, notice the contours and the rise of the chest as she breathes for air…notice, if I dare say as I see your faces twist into feminine agony, the category size C going on D in awe and envy while you clutch your own chest in jealousy. Ladies, this is what men tell other women in their opinion is a real woman!" He announced, watching the class turn from the predicted jealousy as Houki began to sweat nervously as she watched herself get hit by the offended waves of glinting starry-eyed girls as she looked to Ichika in a nervous gasp, seeing her childhood crush suddenly lighting up red before he turned away the girl feeling embarrassed and knowing the full-impact of jealous girls roaming their feasting eyes over her body like it was a national treasure, even Yamada had to cover her own chest in case their attention got turned to her as well while Cecelia decided to sink into her chair just to protect her chest from exposure to the other girls who were…lacking in that area and were clearly agitated at any sightings of big boobs.

"This ladies, is the so-called apex of human evolution made by men but I can tell you now that as a grown man who has friends who had seen possibly tens of these babies…do not necessarily like such bountiful chests as Houki-san has so graciously volunteered to display." Merle sighed dramatically feeling the glares suddenly lose their anger as confusion came over them, Merle looking at Chifuyu as he took the podium beside Yamada who was still trying to hide her breasts and leaving Houki behind standing rooted on the spotlight while he continued.

"A life lesson, if you will. One time, me and my buddy Keith were talking about the preferences that we males take to enjoy whenever we saw a girl and on that day we finally got our chance, a beautiful girl much like Houki-san walked by us where we were sitting and we took a look before we both declared what we thought she had physically. I said I liked the breasts, Keith said he didn't…and I remembered I looked into his eyes and with an intense stare I asked, 'Why?' and did you know what he said to me that day?" Looking around to see everyone hooked onto the story except Ichika who was half-listening while trying to glance away from Houki who was glaring fiercely at him, Merle placed a hand to his heart. "He looked at me and said, 'one day they shall sag and wither, and I shall not get to enjoy those breasts to the fullest anymore. I prefer balanced you see, C is the limit for me.' And with that said he walked away, leaving me to my somber male thoughts."

"What I mean when I laughed, was how the society dares to celebrate beauty to such an extent that we see too many youths in their bare teens taking up weapons and fighting and knowing the world to be a bad place, when innocence once was it was lost. I hope that the society would stop worshipping the young so much and give respect to the old who have experience and know more things than the average guy and girl about life." Finishing his statement, Merle turned to Houki who was intimidated by the boost of ego to the other girls as Merle gave her a sweep of his hand to return to her seat watching the dark-haired girl storm back to her seat, plopping herself on the chair in embarrassment as she covered her face with her head. Turning to Yamada, he took the pad from her and gave a simple yet courteous smile to his fellow teacher.

"Miss Yamada, I would like to continue the lesson and teach the class about this. I hope that you do not mind that fact, you can assist me as I teach in case I have my information wrong." Merle spoke as Yamada suddenly shook her head at his words, a huge blush covering her cheeks as she gazed down at the ground getting an annoyed growl from Chifuyu while twiddling her fingers.

"E-Eh? W-w-well, I guess it's okay to let you do it just this once…" She spoke nervously as Chifuyu, already embarrassed by the man's lack of tact in his explanation smacked her forehead in a stressful groan unable to believe Yamada would give up her position so easily.

"Excellent, now class the thing about the IS suits is that it is a simple but complex design due to the fact that it is a newborn at this like you are as pilots, you see the IS forms a connection with the owner who is assigned such a mobile suit like an additional consciousness that will begin to pick up on the pilots' attitude and personality, in short it is learning the same time you are trying to master the IS and more time spent means a deeper connection and understanding of its pilots." He explained as a student raised her hand.

"Does that work like a lover sensei?"

"Very good example, in fact it does feel like you're in a relationship with someone because the suit will understand you very well inside and out…but take care of it in return, or it will not help you when the situation is most dire. Actually like I said the IS was made for you guys by the famous Tabane Shinonono, otherwise known to me as 'bunny bitch' and her sister is actually sitting with us today in the window row." He pointed out professionally while Yamada simply looked on amazed at his ability to take control as she scrolled down the pad checking her notes for any missed points while the class muttered once more before they began asking questions about Tabane at Houki who looked furiously at the man for mentioning that fact, but it was too late before she finally stood up from her seat after a series of questions and comments about her sister, her hands curling to fists as she defiantly declared out loud,

"I have no relation to that woman!" She yelled out as Merle raised an eyebrow as his suspicions were confirmed, but he didn't say anything as Houki looked to the sky outside the classroom obviously tuning out the chatter that erupted with more gossip before he decided to take control of the situation.

"Ok, guys...no gossiping about other people in my class."He warned as the bell rung, his hand slapping on the desk to get the class' attention. "All right class, we will be going more into the introductions of IS suits and other things when you return. Oh and Ichika I have to see you about something, Houki you can come along with your crush if you want." Merle ignored an angry 'he's not my crush!' from a tsundere Houki while Ichika just scratched his head before he protested in agreement with Houki's statement.

"Yeah, Houki and I are just childhood friends." He stated firmly before he felt a chill run up his spine while Merle simply slapped his forehead at his words as he just turned and walked out of the room alongside Yamada and Chifuyu who turned back to her brother and for once, had a look of shame on her face as she exited the room leaving the thoughtless Ichika to his own demise as he noticed a growing shadow blocking the sun before he turned around in confusion seeing Houki shaking her fist before the scene was interrupted by Merle opening the door again, his head popping through the doorway at Ichika who turned to him.

"Oh by the way, your own IS would take some time to be made ready so enjoy your beating-I mean training that will be set for you. I'll leave Houki here to teach you…proper manners about noticing women." He said as he shut the door, confusing Ichika even more as he turned to face his childhood friend who happened to bring a shinai to class for the occasion of having a clueless male saying the wrong things.

"Uh, guys? Houki-san, what are you doing with that shinai…oh no." His words didn't finish as the shinai's bamboo blade already connected to his eye, he soon felt a new meaning to 'a world of pain' open up before him, Merle and the others had made their escape luckily and were walking down the hallway mentally counting down just as a scream resonated with their mental clocks before all three sighed Merle just looking hopelessly at Chifuyu who gave a similar glance back and both sighed again placing a hand on their forehead.

"He's hopeless." They spoke in unison.

* * *

><p>A few minutes later…<p>

"I said I was sorry for saying something wrong, okay?" Ichika said as he massaged his head feeling the sharp punishment of a bruise forming on his scalp as he hissed at his arms which shielded away some of the aggressive blows that aimed straight to kill, something he kind of expected from her but still…

"Shut up and sit with me, Ichika. We have a lot to talk about." She spoke seriously before ignoring him once again, taking her tray of food and moving towards one of the private tables in the canteen to reserve a seat while Ichika sighed again grabbing his tray and moved towards the table sitting down with an unceremonious drop while placing the tray of food neatly on the table before he tucked in, chewing slowly and quietly on his food while Houki gave him a long stare as she put a spoonful of rice into her mouth.

"You've gotten weaker, Ichika." She commented as Ichika let out a look that screamed 'huh?' to her as she lowered her head, almost about to let hell commence on the poor beaten boy but restrained herself as she recited verses to instill peace while the clueless boy felt a pair of footsteps come to a halt.

"Excuse me, you're Ichika Orimura brother of that famous pilot Chifuyu Orimura right?" Ichika turned around to face a senior who stood with her hands behind her back, the boy just giving a polite bow of his head.

"Yes I am."

"Perfect, I was overhearing from the first-years that you were going to fight a representative and because you lack experience with an IS system I was wondering if you would accept my offer to train you." Ichika suddenly felt elated at the sudden offer, his mind almost a blank but he soon began to answer with an image of him cheering wildly in happiness at the prospect of learning under a senior much less a third year.

"Of course-"

"You can't. I'll be training him." Houki's voice suddenly crushed the boy's response with a sickening crack, Ichika just turning back to look stunned at his childhood friend who had her head tilted back up from the slump she had, her fiery energy coming right back to her as she stared at the senior who let out a frown and put a finger to her lips in thought.

"Eh? But aren't you a first-year, you guys shouldn't be able to pilot…"

"I'm Shinonono Tabane's sister." Ichika felt like head dunking his face onto the table at her deadpan declaration, his thoughts beginning to swirl in confusion once again._ "Say, Houki…isn't what you're doing an abuse of the family name?"_ His face just looking utterly conflicted as his mind partly reasoned what she could do to even improve him but at the same time he felt unsure of even handing himself over to the evil woman he called friend.

"Is that right? Well, if it means putting Ichika in good hands then…"

"_No! Don't go, I want to be trained properly by someone who's not a demon!"_ The doubtful part of his mind screamed as he held his tongue refusing to say a word as he nodded back apologetically at the senior who just gave a polite smile and backed away, moving around a corner only to stop as Merle stood leaning against the wall signaling the girl to come over as he gave an inquisitive glance at the senior, who glanced at him and shrugged helplessly the man letting out a tired sigh that his plan had failed.

"No luck, huh…well you did well enough, here's some cash as I promised you." He said as he handed out the money bills only to have the senior put his hand away, shaking her head.

"Don't worry about it, sensei…talking to the boy was good enough a reward for me."

"And may I ask why?" Merle queried further although he already knew the answer to that question as the senior brought him around the corner pointing at the two childhood friends just talking to each other about the training as the senior replied.

"Well, just look at them and no one will know that they are only childhood friends right?" She said as she left for her table, leaving Merle to stare at the two teens conversing about Houki training him as Merle decided it was enough of sitting around as he made his way straight for the table slamming a hand down on the two teens' table with a bit of force to get their attention while he glanced at them.

"You two, dojo when you're done with your meal."

* * *

><p>Dojo<p>

A crowd had appeared in the dojo anyway for some reason, despite Merle doing his best to ensure the two came alone for their special training as it became apparent the initial plan would not work. Of course that meant that he needed to access all of his resources as an assistant teacher to pull it off and wipe the smirk of that British girl's face, Merle actually finding himself rubbing his hands in glee as he recalled the conversation that led to the argument in the first place.

"_In this country, I cannot believe you all do not know the meaning of proper etiquette!"_

"_And what of it, Cecelia-san? You have been insulting my country long enough, when was the last time your country won the worst cuisine award internationally?!" Cecelia had to gasp dramatically as Merle gave a hearty laugh at the arrogant British pilot while Yamada was too hesitant to even deal with the situation that was slowly getting out of hand._

"_A representative of Britain, they say. Be a shining example, they said…what are you going to do now that your British pride has been sullied? Throw a napkin?" Merle laughed tauntingly as Cecelia pointed a trembling finger right at Ichika's face whose had lost its normal relaxed aura and instead replaced by a hardened face that twisted into a furious glare from tolerating her taunts, almost shrieking as she cried out at the boy._

"_This is war! You hear me Ichika Orimura…this is a duel!" She screeched, Merle actually covering his ears as he tried to stop his ears from giving in to the pain while the girls nearby also plugged their fingers into their ears while Ichika stood facing her undaunted by her childish and snobbish taunts as he folded his arms in confidence._

_"A duel huh? I can beat you easily! So how much of a handicap do you actually want, Cecelia-san?"_

_"Oh? Is that a plea for mercy that I hear from the hotshot male?" Cecelia just taunted right back at Ichika, thinking that he was just trying to get a chance of beating her through unfair advantage but what she got was even more priceless._

_"I'm not asking for mercy, I'm asking how much of a handicap I should give for you." He proudly declared as the class of girls paused before they all began to laugh at what they thought was his foolish declaration as he turned to one of the students who had prodded his arm with a finger with a genuine look of concern at his dare, while Cecelia began to continue gloating much to Merle's own rolling of his eyes at Ichika's own reckless statement before she spoke with her arrogant tone._

_ "Are you so proud to even jest? You only handled an IS suit for a short time, whereas I...I have even more experience as a Representative than you ever will have." She countered, Ichika just standing there before the student who prodded his arm began to say her piece._

_"Orimura-kun, are you actually serious about giving **her** the handicap instead of the other way around?" She whispered as Cecelia puffed at the girl's suggestion, waving it away with her hand._

_"Doesn't matter now does it, after all he will lose to me and once I show him British superiority over the hotshot male...he will be a trophy servant, no even better he can be a slave that will serve my whims and tell of my victory!" Cecelia began to laugh as Merle just sighed at Ichika was told by the concerned student that trying to even do that was pretty much securing his defeat while Ichika blanched but only slightly as he stood his ground refusing to back down from this challenge._

_"Fine, I won't even ask you for one then. I'll take you on seriously." He said with a cracking of his knuckles while Cecelia just gave a death glare of her own in return._

_"Good to know, time to show you the true power that women wield over men." She sneered before Chifuyu broke up the argument, realising it was time to intervene in the matter while Yamada just looked absolutely confused and lost as to what had happened._

_"Fine, the battle will take place in a week. 3rd Arena. We will have to prepare an IS just for Ichika so use the time to train wisely, both of you. And Merle."_

_"Hmm?"_

_"You're seeing me after class." Merle just hung his head, knowing that he was going to get it now from her. But before he would tread into the lion's den..._

_"For your information, Chifuyu...it was so totally worth it." Chifuyu just groaned and shook her head in utter disbelief and disappointment at the assistant teacher's nonchalant attitude, secretly hoping though that her brother could wipe the smirk of that cocky girl's face herself._

Merle had to admit it was funny riling up the girl like that yesterday, seeing her make no friends with her attitude was starting to generate concern in him to make sure that she had to be humbled, and since she turned out to be a hotheaded idiot which made two idiots he knew (Ichika sneezed) the duel was going to commence in a few days from today. Days that he would make sure that Ichika trained hard and good for it through theory and some change of pace from the usual boring kendo matches, sure it was fast when it wanted to but seeing Ichika for a year told him enough about how much weight the boy had put on since he stopped the tedious exercises…whatever they were as he blew a whistle, stopping the chatter immediately as the dojo hall began to fall silent much to Merle's own pleasure as he faced down the two students in front of him armed with a shinai in hand and dressed in a black hakama and white robes.

"Okay, I honestly thought that this match would be quiet and no one had to know of it but it seems I was mistaken in my belief. So now, I am going to face Ichika and Shinonono Houki in a tag team versus." He said nonchalantly as Houki readied her shinai while Ichika just ruffled his dark hair in utter loss for words, wondering just what was going on before Merle reached out and drew a finely crafted wooden cutlass from the sheath twirling it as he got into his battle stance (think of the Assassin's Creed fighting stance for guards) putting his arm out as he raised it, chopping the hand down as a gong sounded.

"Round 1 of 3, go!"

Houki immediately rushed in with a ferocious attack stunning even Ichika as he stood rooted in his tracks watching his kendo partner swinging and thrusting at the older man, who parried the slashes and grabbed her wrist and mid-thrust pushing the girl back with force as he returned to his stance again breathing deeply while Ichika rushed him from the side raising the shinai in the air…

"Too slow." Ichika couldn't even track Merle who immediately brought his cutlass up against his wrists, pushing him back as he parried another swing from Houki who then did a low sweep of the shinai forcing him to jump back, immediately lunging quickly following it with a tap on the head of Houki with the tip as she groaned and walked back while Ichika tried to rush him again Merle seeing the pattern began to weave to the side and push Ichika lightly with the butt end of the handle signaling the end of the round.

"Shall we continue?" Merle asked before the gong chimed, Houki once more rushing him as he took a jump back and rolled to the side before he saw Ichika come at him as Merle rolled in a semi-circle tapping the boy's knee with the cutlass and pushed him lightly seeing the teen stagger before he held his ground as Houki took the advantage pushing him back but he rolled once more catching a glance of white as he did before he raised his weapon to block the downward strike and tapping the man yet again with his elbow . Houki went for a thrust and got a hit in the chest as the gong sounded for the second time, Merle grinning as he twirled his wooden sword feeling a sense of accomplishment for something as he signaled at Houki and Ichika once again.

"Well then shall we?" He said above the cheering of the crowd as Houki and Ichika both nodded, the two then splitting up as Merle brought his cutlass up…and drew a wooden short blade to counter both their hacks as he used the cutlass to deflect Houki's slash while locking Ichika with the short blade as he spun aside tapping Ichika with the tip of the cutlass making him let out a growl of frustration as Houki charged, Merle then reverse gripped the short blade as he put the sword in path of the shinai just in time to deflect the blow as Houki staggered forward into the wooden knife poking her abdomen.

"I win." He said simply, the crowd just keeping deadly quiet as he sheathed both the short blade and cutlass seeing Houki reverse grip her shinai while Ichika fell to the ground feeling exhausted as he had not fought like that since childhood both breathing heavily while Merle took short breaths before he addressed the two of them.

"You guys are good, the teamwork is good but Ichika this is a duel where you would be the only one fighting Cecelia and you need some skill. Houki wants to train you in kendo I assume while I will be giving you extra lessons, see me in my room for an hour per session. Got it?" Merle asked as he saw both of them shake their head before he just smiled and turned to walk away, he was feeling a bit tired himself while personally couldn't wait for the next period to end.

* * *

><p>Evening time<p>

"So let me get this straight…you are volunteering to help Ichika with his training on theory regarding the IS system?"

"Yea-huh." Merle just said as he took a sip of tea, sitting back to relax on Chifuyu's bed as the sounds of battle could be heard on screen as he watched Edward Kenway take down a bunch of Assassin attackers while defending his new ally, Chifuyu busy tapping the buttons as she failed a counter again due to the distraction instead opting to dodge before she pressed the 'hurt' option seeing Edward knee the man in the groin.

"And also Houki would help as well?" Merle nodded as he saw another Assassin fall to the dual blades of Edward Kenway as another man took his fallen brother's place ready for battle.

"She's more than capable of handling herself and has significant influence on Ichika. He'll be fine." Merle merrily suggested as Chifuyu nodded in agreement, facing down another wave of attackers that jumped out of bushes and rooftops as the party got attacked again as she gritted her teeth slightly at her health being sapped.

"Trouble?" He asked, Chifuyu shaking her head as she dodged only to get slashed by an Assassin in the back her grip tightening a little as Merle just laughed to himself seeing her struggle slightly with the men who began to surround her and push her back from all sides, Chifuyu just trying to keep her defense up against the blows as she counter killed another man, watching him fall to the ground.

"You're going on an all-out attack, you should mix between countering and attacking instead of blindly hacking away or you'd…" He didn't need to say more as Edward Kenway fell to the ground unable to move again while a helpful 'Desynchronized' tab came up, Chifuyu sighing as she loosened a bit on the controller letting her hand roam back to the bed to grab the can of beer that she had secretly stashed in her room when she moved in, she had hidden the booze from her ex-roommate Yamada who was bit more on the side of 'having a lifestyle' befitting a teacher and constantly worried about protocol, but the thing was that Chifuyu never had the chance to even relax a little in her life that even having a tiny amount of work sent her into fits of boredom and headaches to complete. She may not have admitted such a thing and she certainly wouldn't, but having Merle around to even set up this PS4 for her own entertainment whenever she finished her paperwork and changing the planning due to the duel that would be conducted the next week was a blessing in disguise, she took a sip as she paused the game to replenish lost fluids as she decided to read a bit of the codex entries.

"I am really out of sync nowadays." She said as she began to fast read an entry about the main character as Merle looked at her with a strange look before he shrugged uncertainly about her statement.

"No you're not, not by a few years anyway. Well keep it up, I think you nearly made it to the next checkpoint." He said as Chifuyu shrugged, taking a sip of beer as she let out a girly giggle out of reflex as the beer bubbled in her throat, her moment of joy vanishing quickly before she covered her mouth recalling that she was not at home anymore and hoping Merle had not caught the action but it was quite late for that as she turned to see Merle giving a knowing smile, her heart skipping a beat as he looked at her for a moment.

"I-Is there something wrong?" She spoke nervously, god she was getting a little nervous around this man for her own comfort. Chifuyu couldn't understand the feeling herself, maybe it was just an embarrassing thing he witnessed with her giggling like a madwoman and drinking beer...

_"Or maybe the fact that he was not such a bad guy to hang around with, come on it's just him and me alone here for the next three years may as well make something happen...oh no, not like that! Bad thoughts, control yourself!" _Chifuyu shoving the thought aside, a small blush on her cheeks as Merle just shook his head as her eyes were blankly staring ahead, taking the chance to secretly snatch the controller from her hands and resumed the game, immediately prodding her back to reality and pointing back at the screen where the party was walking into the same ambush spot again, Chifuyu regaining focus once more passing the beer can to him as she looked at the screen again as the wave of attackers came at her again, Merle just placing the beer can aside as he watched her play again.

"When we get to the next checkpoint, I'll take over and you can watch me work at it, I am a master when it comes to the art of stealth." Merle said with confidence while Chifuyu snorted as she gestured to the screen with her head, her face holding a challenging smirk at Merle who decided to sit up straight from his position as he took another sip of the canned chrysanthemum tea.

"Well let's see if you can do better or the game gets the better of you." She challenged playfully as Merle just chuckled at her declaration of an open challenge, his hand placing the can of drink on the end table next to the bed that he drew up from its proper place as he gave a smirk of his own at her dare, wagging a finger at her.

"Oh you're on."

* * *

><p>With Ichika and Houki<p>

"Damn it he was so fast I couldn't even read his movements!" Ichika just sighed in frustration, the match from earlier had taken quite a bit of his strength even though it only lasted less than five minutes in total and with Houki's own personal training to boot, he admitted he was really tired and worn out as he sank into his chair feeling the heat of the training staining the inner shirt under his uniform as he stripped off his jacket and tie, throwing it to rest alongside the hakama and white kendo robe as he placed a hand over his sweaty forehead wondering when Houki would come out of the shower as he turned towards the bathroom hearing the shower continuing its duty before he recalled what happened after the matches with Merle.

_**Dojo a few minutes after the match against Merle…**_

"_**Ichika, focus!" Houki yelled as she did a series of strikes pushing Ichika back further before a thrust forced his body to the ground before Houki sighed, her face holding an expression that kind of said shock and appalled as the teen got up readying himself in the stance as he blocked an attack from Houki who then proceeded to immediately force him back before she tapped the side of his exposed head, the force of the tap was forceful making Ichika step back holding out a palm as he flopped back on the tatami mats letting out shorts gasps for breath before Houki stood over him staring at him seriously.**_

"_**What happened to you, Ichika?! You are worse off than when I last saw you! You're already swinging your sword like an intermediary rank!" She could only say in shock as Ichika stumbled to his feet feeling his muscles continue to burn while he replied nursing his wrists and chest.**_

"_**Well I had to attend middle school and excel in my subjects or I would have failed!" He protested weakly as Houki then switched her topic, her hand respectfully holding the shinai in a reverse grip at her hip while her free hand just rested on the hip giving off a sigh.**_

"_**Okay, did you do any kind of school activity like a club or something to get your skills sharpened?" Seeing Ichika's blank face staring back at her, she simply took in a deep breath counting to 10 slowly in her head before Ichika decided to ruin her concentration by speaking up unaware of her silence meaning to calm down.**_

"_**Anyways, I had to have full attendance and become a better student." **_

_***Smack***_

"_**O-Ow, not again with the shinai!" Ichika held his scalp as the shinai rested at his side on the mat, the memory of this morning already going through his head as he shivered at the accursed shinai raining blows upon his head with explosive force. Houki on the other hand just sighed as she made a firm decision, turning her back on Ichika as she decided to put off the training for the day.**_

"_**We're done here, Ichika…you're going to have to be retrained." Ichika on the other hand did not hear her until the last part, his body suddenly jolting upwards as he heard the dreaded words ringing fresh in his memory.**_

"_**Retrained?! Houki are you serious about this, I was coming to you for help with my piloting of the IS-" He didn't get a chance to even talk as Houki rounded on the poor gentleman, her finger jabbing at him as she tried to get her point across to him that she was definitely serious about this.**_

"_**There is no doubt! To pilot the IS you have to have the stamina for it and also with such weak strength how can you land a devastating blow on your opponent?! It is a bigger problem than riding an IS!" Houki ruthlessly cut down on Ichika as the gentleman protagonist kept his mouth shut at the truth of her words, the thing was however that Ichika had grown during the six years and his attitude had changed significantly since the last time Houki met him during that fateful night when they all said their farewells, and one of the changes was however a pretty bad one. Ichika couldn't hide the look of depression he had when he heard that statement, the significance of this training suddenly making him more aware like a switch to his common sense had suddenly turned on before his features changed from being confused and lost to a much more sensible look.**_

_**Seeing the look of depression, Houki couldn't help but feel a deep pang in her heart as she looked down on her childhood friend who was looking at the floor deep in thought as she suspected the full impact of the importance must have woken him up from his confused state. Although that was the case on the outset, Houki managed to catch something else that laid in his eyes when it widened to the truth…something sad and held a hint of self-condemnation which also seemed to snap her conscious wide awake to what she may have said, Houki feeling guilty as she tried to salvage the situation clutching her shinai with both hands.**_

"_**Eh, uh…sorry, I-Ichika I-I don't know what came over me…" Ichika however didn't seem to hear her own attempt at an apology as his hair covered his eyes, the teen simply gripping his shinai tightly as he cut her off with a dead tone in his voice stunning the girl.**_

"_**No, you were right Houki. I am just too lax for my own good. I just need to have some time to adjust, that's all." He said coldly as he made his way past her while he walked towards the changing room exiting the dojo to leave Houki alone, the girl clutching her shinai as she gritted her teeth at her own words in disbelief.**_

"Well if I want to become stronger and protect them, I can't just falter here because I don't wish to do it. In fact I will force myself to take this training, I have to if I want to become stronger…and then Chifuyu-nee, I can be the one protecting you." Ichika declared to himself silently, while in the shower Houki had long finished her bath but the words that came out of Ichika's mouth seemed to shake her to the core. He had sounded off, like who she saw back there in the dojo after her outburst insisting he became more aware of the importance of keeping his stamina and strength to its full capacity was Ichika but only by face, like a different person was standing in front of her full of guilt and self-blame. It pained her heart to see her own friend like this, she had been too hard on him and she knew that for his sake but with this…

To be honest she didn't know what to do, to Ichika she was the childhood friend from six years ago who just so happened to be in the same class and a person that he considered special to him but yet beyond that memory of him asking her to keep the ribbon on as a keepsake…and that time when her parents and her were sent into the program to protect them from potential enemies who would want to acquire the family as leverage. She had not seen her friend, didn't know who he was…it was like meeting a stranger again and trying to find out his personality and emotions, the separation of their friendship had seen to that and even as she dried her body and hair Houki placing her hands on her ample bosom squeezing it slightly as she looked down in dread.

"Oh no, it grew bigger. Again." Houki just deadpanned before her thoughts went back to her friend's cold voice and lifeless eyes, the sight staying fresh in her mind as she shook her head.

"Ichika…what happened to you?"

End

Author's Notes: Well I will be reaching the Cecelia match soon, sorry if I am going too slow but the thing was that was the plan on the get go to give a sense of progression rather than going all fast paced and stuff. That's how I roll with stories anyways.

Now on to Cecelia, this is some chapter huh? I decided a bit of action for you guys would be enough to sate you until the next chapter where we have the full blown battle between two hotheads, wonder how that will turn out with my OC around…eh, actually not much.

As to why I still made Ichika a bit emo is the fact that trying to get over the facts of self-blame is a long grueling task especially if you did naturally look down on yourself because of either other people or a self-delusion that you were responsible for others' faults, so yes that difficulty after a year is still present and can be for a person who's always facing that kind of reality for years.

Anyways, I do really hope you enjoy this pace of progression for the story and I wish you all a good day!


	9. Duel, Erase the Fire, New Student

IS: Valkyrie

Author's Notes: Here is the long awaited duel. Enjoy it to the fullest, I had to take some time off to think this battle through and how to present it and I am hoping it satisfies.

Let's continue with the story now.

Disclaimer: I don't own sh-what? I can't swear? Oh okay, who needs it…anyways I do not own both the animation works and the light novel which belongs rightfully to Izuru Yumizuru. Heh, that perv…

* * *

><p>One week later,<p>

Stadium, Arena 3

"It's finally here, eh Ichika?" Houki muttered to her childhood friend as she watched his mouth curl upwards into a smile, his hands clenching nervously as they walked down the path that led to the stadium upstairs Ichika remembering his lessons from the past week flashing through his mind as his confidence was high, waiting anxiously for the duel.

After a hard week of actually improving and working hard by Houki beating-I mean training him in kendo and Merle's more complicated explanations of basic IS functioning, Ichika finally reached the date where he would fight the Representative of Britain in a duel due to said Representative displaying an overtly arrogant and insulting nature that caused the whole class and their teachers to be offended, even though Yamada the only peaceful character besides Merle who was a bit more open to the suggestion of a humbling defeat. Ichika flexed his hands, trying to find a way to get rid of the tension and anticipation that had been plaguing him for a full week awaiting his IS and the showdown with Cecelia still fresh in his mind. Seeing him do so, Houki reacted by slapping his hands snapping him out of his nervousness as she pointed to Merle who was waiting right down the hallway dressed differently than the other two days, replacing his unique shirt with a simple short sleeved orange T-shirt completed by large block letters spelling out "Just keep calm and do the Crazed Butt Stabber" clearly on the shirt making Ichika hang his jaw open in disbelief while Houki had a similar expression to the last three words being bolder and bigger than the rest of the sentence much to the assistant teacher's self-amused face as he noticed their stares being directed at his shirt with intensity before he placed a thumb to it jabbing the last three words to twist the knife of shame in both students' minds.

"Well I see you appreciate my shirt, it's was a shirt made by a famous youtuber I admired. You want me to order two more in different colors?"

"No!" Ichika and his childhood friend both yelled at the same time, cutting off any negotiations for such a weird piece of clothing before Merle gave a mocking frown of disappointment.

"Well nice to see how much my students appreciate all I've done, it's just so touching it can make me cry." Merle sighed in depression as he began to walk away, the two teens suddenly running past him and stopping him in his tracks, both their faces expressing anger.

"You are not wearing that shirt!"

"It's too ugly a shirt, sensei!" Houki respectfully expressed her denial, no way was she going to go through the stadium seats with rows of girls while Merle was wearing that shirt in broad daylight.

"Aw come on, people won't notice…besides it's a punishment." Merle explained calmly as he shot a look at Ichika in particular, the boy tensing up in confusion at his look before Merle clarified the statement.

"I was challenged to do a better job at your sister during a game and I had to wear this shirt even when I won the challenge, apparently Chifuyu said that the reason being due to my little taunts on the first day of school at the representative, she had a good time though." He finished off much to Ichika's worry as it just intensified by a bit, the boy suddenly speaking to Houki with an apologetic look on his face at the girl who was about to retort back his hand clamping her shoulder.

"Eep!" She cried before Ichika suddenly gave another look of apology.

"Sorry if I scared you, Houki but I uh…" He gave a quick glance at the assistant teacher who then spoke up for him, Houki turning back utterly confused by their sudden actions as she saw Merle point to the door behind him down the corridor.

"Go to the stadium through the door behind me and keep going straight, after that take a left and enter the changing room where the launch ramp would be lying on the other side. Me and Ichika will catch up with you later, just get there first or you won't see your boyfriend here for that good luck kiss." He stated cheekily before dodging the bokken that suddenly flew to her hand from an imaginary pocket behind her back, the man laughing loudly as he got into a fighting stance his hands at the side while shooting a playful glare at the furious girl wielding her bokken in front of her.

"You're such a tsundere." He stated bluntly as he dodged yet again from the attack and grabbed her wrist using his free hand to grab her underarm and flip her onto the floor, Houki crashing on her back while Ichika rushed towards her in concern giving the teacher a glare before he knelt beside the girl, clutching her head with her hand as her world was in disorientation Merle simply shrugging without a care in the world as he addressed the girl with a bit of an edge in his tone.

"Careful who you try to hit girl, because I don't take physical violence lightly and if you try it again I will not hesitate to put you in the hospital wards. If you want to actually start a fight, Miss Shinonono… you better get ready to pay for your hospital bills. **Got it**?" He warned harshly, Houki a bit taken aback by his sudden change in personality before he jabbed a finger at the door with a deadly glare that threatened the hotheaded girl, Ichika stood up and shot back a glare of his own.

"Leave, Houki…I'll talk to him."

"Ichika…" Houki trailed off as Ichika nodded at the door, the girl holding her bokken at her side as she moved towards the exit unable to look Merle in the eye as his glare bored a hole in the back of her head even when she had cleared off from the two men, leaving Ichika to look at Merle with a serious face.

"Why did you even do that, Merle-san? She was a student, and my friend!"

"She was acting against me with a weapon, and I took precautionary efforts to ensure my personal safety. Academy rules on self-defense." He stated coolly brushing off the glare that Ichika gave him as he leaned against the wall, folding his arms in waiting as Ichika just looked at him in exasperation.

"How can you be so calm about this? You threatened a student! And my friend!" Ichika argued back as Merle gave a cold glare at the boy making him sweat a little as the assistant teacher relaxed, releasing the tension in his muscles and looked at the ceiling before he turned back to his former charge with a more sober look in his eyes.

"I was beaten by my father." The simple sentence brought everything crashing down on Ichika as his arguments fell apart at the fact, his eyes just staring on in unbelief as Merle pushed the right sleeve up turning to let Ichika gasp at the giant spider-like scar that covered the entirety of his shoulder before Merle simply gave a point at the former injury.

"That was by him, the one I called father. He once thought what it would feel to 'twist the knife' in a more literal sense." He spoke bitterly as he pulled the sleeve back down, glaring intently at Ichika who couldn't recover from his shock.

"I got over my abuse long ago, the memory sears but the past is done. Your friend however, Houki…she's a damn volcano that will explode and hurt all around her because of that fire. If anything you best tell her to actually do something about it and advise her well, or I will make sure she remembers the next time she tries a stunt like that on me or anyone else it will cost her dearly." He saw Ichika nod, but his face not yet understanding as Merle decided to try and get this point in at least. "It's obvious you're not getting the entire point, so let me explain it to you. Back then when we had the match, although we had it in good fun Houki had taken the match very seriously and I probably guess that she took it out on you?"

"Uh, no…she didn't." Merle just snorted, how dense was this guy trying to be?

"Don't lie, I can tell from her strikes that she put in a lot of effort to bring me down…that and I lingered around the dojo to see you train so I had full access to what she did to you. Struck a nerve back then huh?" He said as Ichika kept his tongue held back, unable to even answer that question while he fidgeted at even telling the truth that his best friend was being overly aggressive while Merle just continued.

"She's ruled by strength, anger as well. All that kendo and mumbo jumbo about cultivating a vigorous spirit and peace through the art of the sword is BS. Swords and weapons are tricky, they do not give you peace when you cut a person down, and neither is it meant to bring prosperity to the people with mindless bloodshed…it is a weapon where you can choose to kill, or not at all." He finished his little lecture before he watched Ichika go into thought at that.

"That may be true, sensei…but I have to get stronger so that I can protect Chifuyu-nee-"

"Does that mean you're willing to kill and murder for the protection of your sister?" Merle simply glanced hard at Ichika who just stood his own ground, his head shaking in denial before Merle just gave a shake of his own head at the boy before he looked back up at his former charge.

" I will give you a piece of advice though for both you and Houki to think about…'Put your sword back into its place, for all who shall take the sword will perish by the sword'. Well Ichika my friend, you had a question for me yes?" Merle just changed topics, the current train of thought was going to a place he felt uncomfortable with and the assistant teacher himself wasn't going to relive some of the more…visual memories he had in his mind.

"What is your relationship with Chifuyu-nee?" Merle gagged a little, clearing his throat a little as he looked away for a moment before he turned back with a simple smile, wondering how the conversation went to that topic of discussion as he replied flatly.

"We're friends." He just stated, Ichika somehow looking at him with his arms folded doubt clearly on his features as Merle raised a brow before repeating himself. "We're just friends, we got along after I managed to properly talk to her during the year when I was just updating her about you and your progress in your studies while I was under house arrest. That's all there is to it."

"Is that really it?" Now Merle was the one to have a suspicious look on his face, Ichika sounded somewhat…relieved at the fact he and Chifuyu were friends? But what the hell was that all about then, was there something he missed? Merle shrugged and just filed the expression in the back of his mind for later, doubting that he was going to get a proper explanation right out of the teen anytime soon as he spoke simply with a nod. "Yep." He said as he made his way out, Ichika suddenly speaking out again behind him making him stop in his stride.

"Merle-san, I am willing to use the IS for protection and defense of others. Isn't that a good thing?" Merle just nodded in reply, his frown thinly veiled as he turned to face Ichika with a stern expression.

"I'm saying that nowadays it isn't the solution to everything and that you need not use lethal force to defend yourself and others. Don't get those two mixed up, there's a difference between protection and just killing because you have the power to or your belief that killing solves everything. Now come, we have an IS to fit on you."

* * *

><p>Arena 3's hanger bay<p>

"Well Ichika, are you ready to meet your new baby?" Merle asked as Ichika alongside Houki stood beside the man as they entered the launch hanger for the IS, the man noting Ichika's own energetic face full of anticipation for the big reveal of his suit whereas Houki simply had a stoic look on her face…one that Merle was watching rather intently as he saw a flicker of sadness and worry, the young teacher making a mental note to actually talk to her before the match even began as Chifuyu's voice sounded over the intercom in the hanger.

"Okay Ichika, it took a bit of work but now you can see the personal IS that we've managed to make for you. Brace yourselves, especially you Merle…don't spoil the moment." She announced as Merle gave a light shrug at that, seeing the two students staring at him for answers as he just gave them a look that said not to ask any questions before the lights lit up revealing the not so hidden IS suit that laid at the very launch track ready for takeoff as Ichika's eyes widened in surprise while Houki also opened her mouth but for a different reason while Merle just had a nostalgic look at the one year old ghost he never thought he would see again.

"Byakushiki…"

"Is yours now, Ichika. Take good care of that suit, the owner saved my life and I owe her for it." Merle simply stated plainly for the stunned teen looking at him almost disbelievingly, like it was some joke they were playing on him, the young teacher had to smile at seeing Ichika's face light up in recognition and surprise that his very own sister would even give him her old suit much less let him call it his own.

"Byakushiki is a 3rd generation model which is melee focused, a very strong IS mobile suit with the sword it carries as its main functioning weapon. It is also able to catch up to any long range IS suit and close in, its speed however is as powerful as its strength if not more effective." Chifuyu proudly stated the design over the intercom keeping an even tone as she gave Ichika the rundown while he looked up at the suit moving up to touch it with his palm and closed his eyes.

"Hm…it's no good, I can't feel anything this time." He muttered to himself momentarily unaware of the two others in the hanger before Merle spoke up first, his face too holding some curiosity to Ichika's words as he placed a hand on the boy's shoulder snapping him out of his concentration as Ichika simply gave a shake of his head removing his hand from the surface of the suit.

"You shouldn't worry too much about your connection, such established bonds between other pilots and their own IS suit took time as well. You're not the only one so worrying about it won't make the adjustment to you suddenly go faster, relax." Merle just slapped Ichika to assure the man he was experiencing something normal as Ichika gave him a nod, Merle almost about to leave before he turned back to our protagonist with a slightly serious face.

"So Ichika did you managed to get the whole theory of IS or at least a degree of it? Cause trying it out will of course be different from just reading about it, but did you at least memorize how to pilot and move around?" Ichika scratched his head at that, the words stuck in his throat as Merle just gave a sigh at the boy's own cluelessness as he rephrased his words carefully to make it clearer.

"You do know how to fly and move around right?"

"Yeah, I guess…" Ichika began but was cut off by Merle who gave a clap of his hands, a satisfied look on his face as he turned around and walked away gesturing to Houki to follow him up to the control center as he called back out behind him, Houki giving him an encouraging smile before she followed behind the teacher leaving him to handle the rest.

"Well that's good enough for me, Ichika…go out there and give that British girl a good serving of respect!" Ichika nodded as he turned back to the IS suit, his eyes roaming around the suit as he just looked in awe. At the same time, Houki was nervously following Merle who was leading her to the control room where the teachers would be overseeing the entire match and taking security measures for the students sitting in the seats around the arena, the earlier conversation and her reckless action haunting her thoughts as her thoughts began to circulate in her head.

"_Assaulting the teacher, what were you thinking, Houki! You made him angry with your reckless action!" _ Houki was so absorbed in her actions that she did not notice Merle stop abruptly at the stairs leading to the control room, resulting in the girl bumping head first into his back as the assistant teacher turned to face her with a serious face, arms crossed and his left feet tapping on the concrete floor giving her a look that demanded an explanation for her earlier actions.

"I-I'm sorry, sensei I don't know what came over me…" Merle waited patiently, his eyes still searching her face as she hung her head out of shame before he tapped her shoulder making her face him before Merle wrapped his hands around her body and pulled her into a hug, stunning the girl at the older man's action as he clapped her back.

"You're embarrassed, I get that. You were angry and let your anger take over you, but I promise you now I will get your anger under control." Merle broke away from the one-sided hug, the girl standing in her place stunned by his words and expression…they held no anger nor hatred, no judgmental look or blame even remotely shown on his face which confused her greatly. Just what was this man saying?

"Why? Why aren't you angry at all, I attacked you for no apparent reason and it was my fault I made you-" She was stopped by Merle's own hand being held in her face as he interrupted. "Uh uh, no blaming yourself for something that you already done and has been forgiven." He said with a caring smile as Houki felt a burden drop from her shoulders, disarmed by the man's words before he patted her shoulder with a face of understanding.

"I know how that feels, doing something out of impulse. I had someone who did that, had the chance to walk away from every opportunity of hurt and causing despair but he refused to follow that path and paid for it dearly, I've seen your anger in action back at the dojo and don't lie to me I can tell a practice swing from an aggressive one."

"The thing is, I have seen how anger reigning over someone destroys them from the inside out. And when I saw you coming at me, it was intent to beat and humiliate me in front of all those people…and of course I knew at that moment you were someone I needed to look out for. Someone who needed control." He spoke as he looked at Houki who stared back at him, his words striking something in her mind as she turned to him with a pleading look in her eyes before he finished his statement.

"I can give you control, but only if you agree to be trained under me. If you do this, I will personally take that burning rage and anger and help you cast it away along with the self-blame that you still hold deep in your heart. Help me to free you of your anger, please."

* * *

><p>Minutes later…<p>

"Ichika, get ready to launch off!"

"Ok!" Ichika stated back to Yamada as he felt himself sail out and get tossed into the air, the teen almost felt overwhelmed by the sudden increase of speed before he kept his cool and got his IS to land perfectly on the ground Ichika letting out a sigh of relief as he hovered barely over the dusty ground of the arena before a laugh caught his attention skywards as he saw the Representative of England looking down on him from the sky, a smug look on her face as she displayed her IS to the boy below with pride.

"Look on, Ichika Orimura and see how advanced my IS truly is compared to yours…3rd generation at its highest peak in ability! Blue Tears, let's give him a tune to dance to!" Cecelia shouted loudly as her IS began to launch several detachable parts that zoomed straight at Ichika firing their lasers forcing the boy to go on the defensive right at the start, Ichika dodged and weaved as the annoying parts flew around him creating small webs of lasers to throw him off as he gritted his teeth.

"Damn, she's good. Now how to get the weapons out? Remember what Merle told you." He said as he moved out of the way, a small screen suddenly popped up in the middle of his face as he looked it over with a frown almost feeling dissatisfied with the weapon slots being empty, save for one weapon.

"Looks like I really can't play long range, I have to make this quick!" Ichika said as the sword formed into his hand, the teen moving straight ahead for Cecilia who just smirked and blocked his direct path with her lasers, Ichika diving out of the way as he tried to slash at her but grazed her shields slightly instead.

"Damn it!"

"It's not over, Ichika Orimura!" The representative yelled out as she brought her rifle up, firing a few well-timed shots that impacted with Ichika's IS sending him flying into the stadium wall before he moved away as the parts began to fly after him, forcing him to dodge again while he kept an eye on Cecelia. In the control room meanwhile, Yamada was staring strangely at Merle who was sitting at a table near the wall sipping on tea her eyes falling on the bold-lettered words that donned his shirt, turning to look at Houki who simply looked away from the man in silent appellation before Yamada just spoke a comment.

"That's a nice shirt." At that, Merle just smiled brightly while Chifuyu smeared a palm down her face counting to 10 inwardly while Houki choked on her spit, the girl slamming a fist on the table while grabbing her neck all the time staring slack-jawed at the green-haired woman who smiled in continued bliss.

"Why thank you, I can give you one with more innocent words." Merle just said, his face wincing as he saw Ichika get blasted point blank by Cecelia in a mistake that he made coming in close as he fell back down to earth, Ichika however wouldn't be beat as he looked up to dodge more of the detachable lasers flying around as the teen's face suddenly turned from a stressful strain to that of a hidden smile before he raced towards her hacking two of the laser bits which soon fell to the ground and he raised his sword at her while dodging the lasers behind.

"No!" Cecilia yelled as she called off her bits, the detachable lasers suddenly halting their pursuit behind him as Cecilia moved to the side, the melee weapon missing its intended target before she pulled out her trump card, the two barrels at her hip lowering to fire two missiles aimed at Ichika forcing him to move away as he ducked and weaved but finding the projectiles were still on to him while the laser detachable bits were now resuming their assault on Ichika, Cecilia taking the two remaining bits back to her IS before she fired a few more shots narrowing his escape routes.

"I have to do something or I'm going to be defeated…" Ichika suddenly felt an explosion at his back sending him flying straight into the ground, dust flying up all around the air as Cecilia had a frustrated look on her face reading the screen on her heads up display.

"He managed to take down two of my detachable lasers and he brought my shield down by a third? I hope this will end the match, Ichika Orimura." She muttered but a shred of doubt was still looking down at the dust cloud, suddenly giving way to give the representative a shocking sight. Down there, true to her own suspicions and standing tall though nearly out of shields was the Byakushiki and its panting owner who held his sword up for her to see, but instead of the large metal sword that she saw was instead a blade made of pure energy Ichika on the other hand was gasping for breath as a red pop-out indicated his shield was below a 100 out of the full capacity. Meaning he had only one shot as he clenched the blade, holding it in both hands before he performed a final rush while Cecilia stood there shocked by the readings.

"This is the tell-tale signs of a First Shift…he's only been toying with me with the initial settings?!" She said as she sent her lasers out in defense only to see Byakushiki cut them down with relative ease before he closed in on her, the girl unable to react as Ichika raised his blade-

"Match is over…winner is Cecilia Alcott!" Chifuyu's voice cut off all sense of victory for the teen male, his confidence suddenly taking a dive as Ichika's eyebrow began to twitch erratically in a stunning moment that ended his chance for victory snatched away by the haughty English girl, Ichika abandoned all sense of awareness as he looked up to the sky and took a deep breath.

"NOOOOOOO!" At the same time, unknowingly to the teen in the control room a silence fell as Ichika's shields went to naught before he could touch Cecilia signaling the end of the match as the crowd of girls that gathered for the big event began to yell a chorus of 'Eh?!' to the sky, the new owner of Byakushiki soon joining in the sea of shock at the result. As Chifuyu put down the mic that connected to the stadium speakers, a clatter of a cup turned their attention to Merle who was honestly stunned as hell by the outcome of the match, ignoring the stares from the three other occupants in the room as his hands began to tremble uncontrollably, words tumbling out in mutters as everyone including Chifuyu who had a shiver down her spine, began to worry for the man who was twitching his eyebrow.

"How…he was…just a few seconds…won…"

"A-Ano, Merle-sensei?" Houki asked reaching for the man's shoulder before he stood up abruptly, his body bent forwards in a trembling fit before he looked up at the sky and began to open his mouth, unaware that the speaker system was still turned on as he roared one single word.

"FFFFFFUUUUUU-"

* * *

><p>Night time, Ichika's room<p>

In the dorm room they shared, Ichika was hanging his head in shame as his childhood friend was yelling at him in disbelief her shock evidently more profound than it initially seemed. Apparently when he had gone to the control room to find out why he had lost, he was met with a blue clipboard smashing his head repeatedly as Chifuyu gave a lecture on watching out for the One-off Ability that he pulled as it drained a considerable amount of energy and he had sacrificed all of his remaining shields smacking him once again when he accidentally let slip that most of the lessons with Merle did not really enter his memory. So in the end, he had to sit in his chair and take the verbal assault of his friend Houki.

"How did you not know your shields were going down? Did you know you could have won back there, if you had a bigger amount of shields and the attack succeeded…" Houki threw her hands up as she lay back down on the bed, already changed into her sleepwear while she glanced at Ichika just letting out a sigh as he covered his face with his hands obviously as upset about the result as she was. Deciding that he had enough abuse-I mean reminders for the day about learning the basics, Houki rose from the bed and moved to the table where her tea set laid unused until now as she poured two cups of tea and handed one to Ichika who nodded his thanks, both taking their drinks.

"Mmm, this tea is good Houki-cha-" He stopped in mid-sentence, aware of a sudden shift in the room before he left the sentence unsaid drinking the tea before Houki's voice replied back her tone unsteady as she turned away with a blush on her face.

"H-Houki-chan?" Ichika just nodded, unsure of the strange feeling that rose in his stomach just by looking at her glancing momentarily at him before she looked down again, her fingers encasing the cup tightly as he replied with a scratch of his head.

"Y-yeah, Houki-chan like how I used to call you in the old days back when we were in school, you said it was okay but if you're sensitive to it now I suppose I could-"

"Ichika." Houki's voice cut his thoughts as he looked up, his blush spreading further as Houki brought a finger to her lips in thought the action making Ichika's blood pump faster while his own heart was threatening to burst out of his chest right there and then. "Y-you ca-can call me that if you really want…but only because we're friends!" Ichika just gave a laugh at that, his heartbeat still racing as he gave her a warm smile.

"I would like that, Houki-chan."

"_What kind of a feeling is this? I feel warm…" _ Ichika felt as his heart was still racing, the silent moment suddenly ruined by a thud and a loud scream upstairs as Houki placed her cup on the table and rose from her seat, yawning and stretching her hands in the air as she looked at Ichika with a small smile.

"Goodnight Ichika."

"Goodnight, Houki-chan." He replied back not noticing a look of bliss came upon Houki as she went to bed a happy girl, his words still ringing in her ears like a choir singing a beautiful hymn. Meanwhile Ichika was left to his own thoughts, the teen recounting the encounter back at the stadium again as he poured himself another cup of tea shivering as the image of the spider shaped scar haunted his vision at the moment seeing the man's glimpse of pain and hurt, it made Ichika uneasy. His words regarding Houki made its way back as Ichika turned back to look upon her sleeping form on the bed, the words repeating itself like a buzzing in his ear that would not go away as he moved to the side of Houki's bed cautiously hearing the girl's quiet breathing as he knelt down beside the bed and traced a finger unknowingly along her strands of dark hair, Merle's last words on the topic too echoed in his head as Ichika caught the scene of shampoo filling his nose while he stroked his childhood friend's hair in thought.

"Merle-san…what did you mean ruled by anger and strength? And why is Houki such a concern?" Ichika wondered before he realized his unthoughtful action and withdrew his hand from Houki's hair, the girl letting out a tired groan as Ichika looked down at his hand unsure of what to feel before he shook off the strange butterflies in his stomach and decided to retire for the night.

* * *

><p>Merle's room<p>

"Ow!" Merle yelled as he rubbed his head, soreness reverberated in his skull as he clutched his scalp while he stared up at the towering form of Chifuyu glaring down on him in the chair while clenching her fist shaking furiously at the man. "What the hell, Chifuyu-ow!"

"How dare you? Swearing in the arena, what were you thinking?!" Chifuyu shouted at Merle who just hung his head in shame, recounting the aftermath of the scream resulting in a lecture by Yamada about proper teacher's etiquette and Chifuyu just giving him the death glare for the rest of the day, the duel apparently counted as a lesson for the first-years who were invited to watch before she gave them the day off but not without letting her brother know what she thought of his reckless performance.

"I'm sorry, okay? I didn't know what I was doing and having to see my student so close to winning, it just…took me by surprise I guess." Merle explained, rubbing his head some more as he tried to help his sore head ease off on the hard knuckle grind to his scalp earlier when they entered the room. It was true though, Merle was actually surprised at the way Ichika handled himself when he landed perfectly on the arena floor and his dodging skills were there as well as the strategy of rushing in and ending the battle quickly against a long-range IS was the smart choice…in fact he had hoped his student would wipe the floor with the British spoilt brat but it seemed that life was deciding to throw a wild card at him.

"Do you know how many complaints I could have had if this was an international tournament?! It went all over the loudspeaker for crying out loud!" Chifuyu crossed her arms and sat beside Merle who just gave an annoyed click of his tongue.

"I know, I know…I'm still very sorry."

"Doesn't matter, this is a trivial matter. I'm hearing that you're training Houki yourself?" She asked as Merle nodded, a sad gleam in his eye as he spoke in contemplation staring ahead at the wall, Chifuyu frowning slightly as she noticed the subtle change in his reaction as the room grew quieter with the majority of the dorm most likely sleeping.

"Yeah, I am."

"You sound worried and concerned." Chifuyu stated plainly, the tone underlying a further elaboration on his words which Merle picked up quickly…throughout the one year of updating Chifuyu about the state of the household while she was in Germany he picked up a few things about her habits, when she was tired or stressed to the tells that say she was wanting an explanation due to her emphasis on tone whenever she spoke, a skill she no doubt carried due to her ex-position as the legendary IS pilot and her past which he had only learnt of in passing: that her parents left her and Ichika alone in the house one day and never came back home, sending her into a frenzy upon the discovery. He could sympathize with that, but of course his experience was drastically different and he just listened as she went on about the tough life she had to lead because of the responsibilities stacked on her alongside being a top student in school. Clasping his hands, Merle stared up at the wall before he let her know his thoughts.

"I am. She has a…anger problem I believe stemming from her sister, bunny bitch and I do not know what it could be. You heard her in the classroom, she seems angry at something I don't know yet and I am hoping that I can take away the source of her anger and help her calm down. I proposed the idea to her and she agreed but…"

"You don't know if she even trusts you due to student and teacher." Chifuyu guessed as Merle looked at her in wonder before he spoke letting his hands lie on his knees. "How is it that you gained such a perspective instinct?" He asked as Chifuyu stared back at him with a thin smile, her hand grasping his own in reassurance much to his own surprise at her action.

"You'll figure it out, you're a teacher and from what I can see you're doing well already handling the class for that lecture a week back." Merle felt some of his doubts clear but he had to ask one more question, turning back to the wall.

"How did you manage to handle your own class the first time? I mean, was it so unnerving or even intimidating to have so many people who admire your talents sitting there waiting for you to show them the ropes?" He asked as Chifuyu chuckled lightly, her laugh almost like a melody to Merle as he watched her turn to him with a strange look.

"Are you kidding? I thought I was going to get swarmed!" At that both of the young adults laughed, Merle laughing the hardest at that as he recalled the girlish squeals and fandom that erupted when she first introduced herself to the students, their starry eyes were amusing to see especially after what he did next to stun them.

"You are a funny woman, Chifuyu." He complimented the woman, Chifuyu immediately feeling a bit of red on her face as she turned away awkwardly shifting herself a bit when she realized she was getting too close to Merle's body, her hand leaving his own as she held back a disappointed glance before she looked back at the PS4 sitting there on the table an idea popping into her head. "I know you can do it, have more faith in yourself and your ability to teach others."

"In fact," Chifuyu got up from the bed making her way to the PS4 and turned it on, slotting the familiar Assassin's Creed game disc into the console as she handed a controller back to him sitting by his side as Merle looked up at the screen in slight confusion before she faced him her orange eyes glinting brightly in the light of the room. "You look like you should relax yourself. I can give you tomorrow off, if you'd prefer to go and plan your training with Houki when you finally start those private lessons. And, right now you can teach me how to improve at this game." Chifuyu pointed to the start menu as Merle glanced up before he met her orange eyes feeling his mood lighten before he grasped the controller in hand, opening the save slot to play, a sudden realization struck him as he looked at Chifuyu who was looking at the television in silence.

"Hey, aren't you supposed to be in bed for tomorrow?"

"Yamada can handle herself."

Yamada-sensei's room

"Achew!" The green-haired woman suddenly rose her head slightly, rubbing her eyes lazily as she fell back down on the bed a hazy feeling blocking her body from responding to her brain before she fell asleep again muttering to herself about being on her own in a classroom for one day, and also how that would really make her nervous. If only she knew.

End

Author's Notes: Well, another chapter and the duel between Cecilia and Ichika is done and dusted, and also I imagine I should provide answers to a few things that were said in the story.

Firstly was the conversation between Ichika and Merle about Houki. Now she is a good fighter, but in my opinion she cannot find peace because she has strength and the power to beat, even kill that can overtake her which of course with Merle being the counterbalance of abstaining or doing his best to avoid it as much as he can would be concerned that she snaps during a battle. For Ichika in terms of morality, he is using it to protect but the thing that if you haven't managed to catch and I am sorry if the conversation never did clarify it, was that he was in the risk of using self-defense as an excuse to kill which was why the question was posed to him and Ichika of course is a guy who protects, but that doesn't mean it could happen.


	10. Anger Management, Promise Forgotten

IS Valkyrie

Author's Notes: Okay, now I have to put some measure of story in.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Infinite Stratos light novels and animation works, they belong to their respective owners.

"I want a Chris Tucker fried chicken…with Jackie Chan noodles."

* * *

><p>With Phantom Task<p>

"So this Merle can't go to Germany is that correct?" Squall had to suppress her anger at the screen in her private bedroom, the laptop being the only source of light as the leader of Phantom Task sat in the elegantly crafted leather chair, a glass of red wine in her hands while she drummed the lion head carving on the oak armrest with her thin fingers. On the screen looking up towards Squall was an older gentleman with balding hair and blue eyes only a hairline ran from the side of his head above the ears as he had his hands clasped together in front of him, a frown on his face as he spoke to her.

"Yes, I've been stonewalled by Chifuyu and I hear from my sources the young man is with her in the IS Academy." The man was calm and composed, like he had expected to have such a tough situation on hand dealing with the male anomaly instead of Squall who had bristled at the mention of two names she disliked the most in the world, Squall placed the wine glass away as she pushed her fingers together while bringing a leg to cross over her other as her mind began to work.

"Chifuyu was smart to bring him there, the Academy is considered a rogue state but is legal in terms of operations and association to the government…it seems as though fate wishes to let us clash with that woman once more." Squall muttered as he looked back at the old man who had also gone into thought before he leaned forward, a glint in his eye as he brought his suggestion forward to the blonde woman.

"I have a suggestion."

"Speak your mind." Squall replied quickly, her mind holding off her current plans as the older man pressed a button bringing up a screen to dominate the current transmission with what appeared to be blueprints for a small device, in fact it looked almost like a ball with various small details attached to each part.

"Interesting, it is almost like the VT program." Squall commented as the man nodded in confirmation, grabbing a cup of coffee and drank it down in a gulp ignoring the burning heat in his throat. The VT otherwise known as the Valkyrie trace system, countries that had internationally gathered to sign the treaty of Alaska had to consider many factors, and in the early days the VT was used as a template from the first champion of the Mondo Grosso to try and cheat their IS pilots into adapting and assimilating the skills of the legendary Chifuyu Orimura. However many health and dangers occurred which threatened the cores and due to the 467 cores which were scattered around the world, limitations and high risks including pilots suddenly entering a 'berserk' state which caused a lot of damage to both talented pilots and even resources...thus the program was banned for the one fact the assimilation was a deadly process that caused a 99.9 percent chance of absolute failure and no pilot could even coordinate the movements of the legendary pilot.

"One difference, this is an artificial core that we've constructed in an attempt to replicate the past Mondo Grosso's champion as well as with an added twist, I'm sure that you'll know the difference when you actually see the whole schematic. However we needed a subject who could handle that program as it caused major stress on the user, but the German army had that covered just at the right moment…we'll be sending a Representative outfitted with this core into the academy to enroll for the three years of training, she will not doubt be put into Chifuyu's class. You will put in several of your operatives and then…"

"Take the young man known as Merle and escape while the chaos ensues." Squall now listened attentively, the plan certainly lacked some points about when to strike but the chance of doing it was a one shot plan…and Squall needed to know what could be so powerful that the man possessed to send out an energy of massive scale, but there had to be a bit more details for it she figured as she brought the wine to her lips.

"And our test subject?" The older man nodded as he brought up a dossier and sent it to her, Squall looking over the profile of the representative briefly before she nodded in satisfaction keeping the profile in her personal archive while the man came back onto the screen a smile on his face as well.

"She's magnificent, yes? I think that the results of implanting her with that additional part to her IS would cause some…unwanted damages to the academy and the people who have the unfortunate luck of fighting her, maybe even eliminate a pilot or two?" The older gentleman had a smirk of pride at the creation as Squall smiled appreciatively as she refilled her glass and swirled the red wine.

"I will send a squad of Phantom Task operatives immediately to join the escort of this girl."

"Excellent, if that is all…" The man was about to sign off before Squall spoke out abruptly at him, her glass clinking against the table.

"Wait. This man, this…Merle what kind of a man is he?" Squall queried curiously as the older man simply gave a shrug, his answer vague as he looked strangely at the woman, unable to see what was on her mind before he pushed the thought back.

"I don't know, but he's an extraordinary gentleman with resilience. In a world without IS or a Phantom Task, I would gladly have liked to meet him in person. With that I bid you good day, Miss. Squall."

"Good day, ambassador."

* * *

><p>The next night<p>

"So, what's this all about?" Ichika muttered as he felt the crowd of girls from his class staring at him, the boy bringing his eyes downwards to eye the amount of food that filled the canteen table while he sat in the leather cushion feeling a bit of discomfort at the bunch of girls that sat beside him on both ends of the semi-circular leather seat, his eye turning to Houki who had a dark look crossing her features while a girl answered his question.

"Well, it was to celebrate your promotion to being a class representative." Ichika did a nod of understanding, before he realized what the words meant as his shoulders slumped in confusion before he let out a 'huh?' at the statement waving his hands in front of him while Houki had a darker look on her face, hanging her head just a little lower.

"Hey, wait! When did this happen? Why was I not informed of all of this, and isn't Cecilia supposed to actually become the representative of the class because she won the duel?!" He pointed a finger to his right, where sitting with an elegant smile and her hands folded neatly over each other sat the winner of the duel, the blonde English girl just giving an innocent smile as she flipped her drill strand aside.

"Well about that, you could have beaten me during the match yesterday but it was because of your IS using its One-off ability that drained its shields to zero so with that in mind…" She patted a hand on her chest with her smile still present as she looked at Ichika with a glance of respect. "I decided to let you have the position of representative to compensate for your unspoken victory."

"Wow, Cecilia does know how to be nice!"

"Cecilia-san, you're so nice!"

"Oh boy, I guess I have no choice but to accept." Ichika immediately replied, much to the excitement of the girls and unknowing to him Cecilia who had a very big smile on her face as she stood up from her seat while Houki glanced at Cecilia with a hostile look.

"Okay, Ichika-kun…I think it's time to take a photo to remember this day for the class, yes?" Cecilia politely gestured to the teenage boy as Ichika smiled back rising from his seat as the girls all moved back, giving some room as a girl holding a camera stood in front of them, Cecilia turning to Ichika as she held her hand towards at him in a handshake Ichika following suit as they posed for their photo.

"Okay, stay right there! One, two…three and smile!" The camerawoman yelled before the device flashed a blinding white, momentarily blinding Ichika as his eyes tried to adjust to the brightness before he felt an elbow hitting his side and Cecilia's small shriek of protest suddenly cried out as Ichika realized that while they were distracted by the camera the crowd of girls beside him and Cecilia had moved in, taking place beside them with various poses thus a unique photo came out instead. While Ichika was unsure of what was going on, Cecilia was screaming in the dark recesses of her mind at life for screwing her over on such a simple moment with Ichika…which would not happen for a very long time.

"There's always a next time, Cecilia…always a next time." She chanted trying to calm herself, unaware alongside the entire group of girls and Ichika that yet another girl was walking down the path leading to the Academy, the female clearly tired from her flight to Japan while dragging a large suitcase behind her while her dark green eyes scanned the entirety of the academy dorms letting out a sigh of awe.

"So this is the Academy…watch out Ichika, here I come."

Morning

Merle and Chifuyu's room

"Uh, it's morning already?" Merle sighed as he got up from his bed, dressed only in shorts and a simple white fatigue shirt stretching his hands upwards feeling the crack of his wrist and fingers while he shifted himself off the bed, his eyes falling onto the clock just beside him before he gave a wave at the device yawning again while he ruffled his bed hair walking past the wooden wall to get some morning sun as he put a hand over his eyes to look upon the bright blue sky over the ocean as well as the sun that had risen up shining like a bright ball of light, the man deciding not to blind himself even more as he turned back to see his roommate's bed all made up neatly not a thing out of place.

"Leave it to her to keep her bed clean, mine's a bit messy." He said as he moved to his bed, sorting out the blanket and pillow that was crinkly as well as pulling the sheets proper before he felt his tiredness die away, the man reaching into his drawer and grabbing a box of mints popping one into his mouth and crushed it with his teeth feeling the freshening taste fill the cavity of his mouth.

"Now to brush my teeth, wonder if Chifuyu's out already? Nah, never mind, I won't be using the bath anyways…but that would be horrible,but I already bathed before I slept so I'll just use deodorant for today as I have to train Houki in the afternoon." He said as he made his decision, making his way to the only bathroom in the room to which he still did not know why they wouldn't just add two baths, women's needs were different he guessed to himself as he opened the door.

"Ah, nothing like a good morning to freshen up first…hm, I won't be using the bath so it's all good." He said as he made his way to the mirror pushing his short sleeves upwards to his shoulder, his hand wiping away the steam that formed on the glass surface as he took out the toothpaste and his brush, brushing his teeth with a slow deliberate pace trying to get at all the yellow stains on his white teeth before he took a glass of water gurgling and spitting out the paste, moving his face to the mirror as he clicked his tongue in annoyance at the mist forming up again as he wiped the mirror for the second time, making sure he could get a clear view as he wet his chin grabbing the razor and shaved his chin and mustache out of existence. Again for the third time, he saw the steam fogging up the glass as he did a full hand wipe of the surface his ears not hearing the distinct sound of water suddenly being cut off as he let out a growl of frustration at the mirror, now noticing the steam clouds that were filling the bathroom as he let out a sigh wondering if his day could get any worse with such a horrible start.

"Damn this steam, it's suffocating me in fact it's almost as though someone-"

"Eep!" He wondered aloud before a gasp from his left confirmed his deepest fears, Merle closing his eyes as he breathed in deeply hearing a splash of water coming from the shower curtain before the man bowed his head burying it in his palm in silence as the curtain drew back, his mind drawing a blank as he spoke to the ground making sure he was heard while looking towards the door letting the source know he wasn't looking by turning his body feeling the heat create water droplets over his exposed arms and legs, Merle genuinely thanking the steam for clouding his vision now and that he did not have the actual instinct to turn his head towards the sound.

"How long have you been here?"

"…" The voice said nothing, Merle feeling even more uncomfortable the more he stayed in the bathroom as he heard another splash of water as the young man began to sweat lightly, about to reach for the doorknob before the voice muttered behind him.

"10 minutes."

"Ah." He said as silence came over the two of them again, Merle was in the meanwhile torn between moving out of the room to kill all conversation while the more primal side of his hormones demanded to see some skin of his attractive roommate, the man fighting his urges as he cleared his throat and indicated to the door.

"I-I should go." He managed to get the words out before he opened the door and exited the bathroom making sure he twisted the lock as he did so, his mind still in a blank as he walked over to the large duffel bag and drew out his clothes for the day while simultaneously tossing the sleepwear into the laundry basket, grabbing the pile of clothes and put most of them into the washing machine and starting it up ensuring all was fine before he moved to the main room and waited patiently dressed in a pair of three quarter brown pants with a red shirt saying 'Keep calm and do the flop', hearing the door to the bathroom click open as he turned away in case he should stumble on something he didn't want to see.

"It's fine, Merle I'm dressed." And there was the familiar tone Merle was used to, the man turning around only to have a bored look on his face as he saw Chifuyu dressed in the same black buttoned up jacket and knee high skirt, even going so far as to have the same colored white shirt and tie beneath the jacket as Merle looked her up and down with even less appreciativeness while the woman folded her arms hiding some of the red that formed on her face as she noticed his stare combating it with her own.

"What is it, Merle?"

"-shopping." He muttered aloud, Chifuyu feeling a bit more confused at his words before he repeated his words again, this time a bit more forcefully than he wanted as he gestured to her state of dress.

"I have to take you shopping outside soon for some real clothes, those aren't going to cut it and no-you can't argue about it. We're going shopping with Ichika and we're going to do it when we have our break for the semester." He declared sternly as he held up his hand cutting off all protests as he turned around and walked out of the door, closing it behind him leaving Chifuyu to ponder the thought before she joined Merle with her clipboard in hand stepping outside to see he was waiting for her by the stairs.

"I thought you would have gone downstairs."

"Well I'm being generous here, so don't question all the good things in your life and just join me." Merle just stated dryly before he walked downstairs, Chifuyu following after him towards the classrooms the IS prodigy looking at Merle's back as he walked by particularly eyeing his shoulder.

"I see you were looking at my shoulder, anything that interests you?" Merle's voice interrupted her stare as she simply shook her head, passing several students late for their classes.

"No, there's just…well you look worse for wear." She commented as Merle laughed, touching his shoulder feeling his face tighten slightly before he spoke dryly.

"Yes I do, but that's the joy of being me. Anyways what are we doing for today?"

"We're going to the arena for a demonstration of the IS, Ichika and Cecilia will be volunteering-"

"Watch yourself, Ichika Orimura because I'll-" A girl's voice rang out from the classroom doorway as Chifuyu gave a sigh, rubbing her forehead before she took the clipboard in her hand and with the desired force she wanted smacked a head of brown hair cutting the girl off in her mid-rant as Chifuyu simply moved past the girl putting on her 'teacher' mode while chiding the brash girl.

"Go back to your class, Miss Lingyin." She ordered the girl as she gave a sharp glare at whoever had smacked her, her hot-headedness blinding her manners. "Who dares to whack me while I'm in the middle of-*gasp* Chifuyu-san-"

*Thwack*

"Owww…."

"…" Merle kept his silence, careful not to go and suddenly ruin the mood as he moved past the two females and made his way to the podium, noting that Yamada was not around for the day as he watched Ichika's face still held on the noisy girl who then pointed at the boy one more time while a dark look was again on Houki's face as Merle soon realized she wasn't the only one as Cecilia was staring out at the newcomer as well, both girls having a violent gleam in their eyes as the girl called out at Ichika who was already sinking into his desk.

"J-Just watch yourself, Ichika Orimura…I'll make you remember that day if it's the last thing I do!" She yelled before Chifuyu raised her clipboard again making the girl retreat with her tail between her legs at the fearsome teacher, closing the door behind her leaving Merle to turn to Ichika with a really confused look while the boy simply gave a look for help at his former guardian.

"What the hell did you just do, Ichika Orirmura?"

"That's what I was about to ask, Merle-sensei. That was what I was about to ask." He said with a groan as he thumped his head on the desk unable to cope with the sudden declaration that happened not too long ago, Merle just uttered an incoherent string of words to himself before he turned back to Chifuyu.

"Hey where's Yamada?"

"She apparently couldn't take it going at the lesson alone so…" Chifuyu left the issue hanging as Merle just looked up at the ceiling in concern, his mind already starting to get taxed slightly from the disappearance of his beloved supporter…he even had one of those T-shirts ordered for her since yesterday but he instead spent the day just doing small exercises and going to the gym for a bit, though the other good point was that he managed to plan a session for Houki and contacted her already beforehand to meet him at lunch.

"I see, looks like it's all me. Well then class, I think we were going to do a demonstration out in the arena with Ichika and Cecilia doing a mock practice battle and display some more IS maneuver drills…"

* * *

><p>Lunch time<p>

"Oh my god I'm beat!" Ichika let out a big breath of relief before a hand smacked him lightly on the head, the boy groaning at his messed up life before he turned to face a familiar face from this morning.

"Hi Ichika!"

"Hey Ling…I didn't expect you to come here, much less even know I was here!" Ichika said in surprise at the appearance of his second ghost from the past, the Chinese girl with two ponytails just smiling contently as she grabbed her tray of food waiting for Ichika as he made his order.

"Honestly, do you actually think that the world would ignore the first ever male IS pilot? You were plastered all over the news, I just had to come over when I heard about it to see you…it's been too long after all." Ling said with a very cheerful smile as he joined her to move to one of the canteen booths, the two taking up their places as they tucked into their meal.

"So, Ichika how is everything after so many years? You look extremely stressed for someone usually so laidback in your exams all those years ago."

"Laugh it up Ling, I am just feeling the pressure of living up to the expectations set for me especially by my sister." He sighed in annoyance, why out of all the men life picked to choose as the first pilot had it been him? That question wasn't new when he did start off, the first time he activated an IS it caused an uproar as according to Merle and Chifuyu the countries decided to actually argue about acquiring him for lab study, a very light term considering what they would do to replicate the process of having male pilots to establish dominance again on the world. The whole situation back then was stressful for the boy who was taken out of his own school and placed into a protection program as the Japanese government tried to hide him from the politicians who would want their hands on him, in fact it was this accumulating pressure that led the IS Academy to invoke custody over Ichika due to his sister saving his hide once more. The impact left him a bit disturbed by seeing how many people would take such an opportunity to increase their power that they would even threaten IS operations against their neighbors to try and take him, one man who had the curse of piloting an IS.

"Chifuyu cares about you a lot to do all this for you, otherwise she would have thrown you to the wolves if she didn't." Ling spoke up as Ichika nodded in agreement biting into his food, he had to sit through a few months of fear because of the announcement of him being IS compatible.

"So, I noticed that the female teachers in my class and the other years were gushing over the male teacher from your class, is he a pilot as well?" Ling asked as she drank the miso soup bowl, using both her hands to drown the soup in her mouth while Ichika picked up a piece of ripe tomato slice.

"No, he is normal like any other male." He said, keeping the fact aside that he was a decent swordsman and managed to beat him and Houki by himself. The boy suddenly paused in the middle of his meal, his eyes scanning the canteen while Ling noticed him looking around for someone joining in as she eyed the multitude of girls in the canteen.

"Who're you looking for, Ichika?" She asked, feeling a bit threatened at this point as Ichika looked back at her with a bit of worry in his eyes.

"Houki, my childhood friend she hasn't shown up for her lunch." Ling suddenly froze, her eyes just blankly stared in surprise at the mention of the words 'childhood friend', her mind going into a protective mode as she leapt to her feet ignoring the fact that she had just ate as she slammed her hands on the table a distressed look on her face while Ichika tried to dissect what was going on with his friend holding his palms out at her in defense.

"C-ch-Childhood friend?!" Ichika had to cover his ears at the sudden yell that nearly burst his eardrums, Ling grabbing the collar of his uniform and bringing his face to hers while a murderous aura filled the booth before she shot him a glare.

"Ichika…"

"_Oh no, I know that look from anywhere! I have to get out of here!" _Ichika screamed in his mind as the girl began to tighten her grip on his collar, her sing-song voice holding nothing back from the promise of absolute menace and pain at his answer Ichika trying to defuse the situation.

"Well you see, before I met you…"

* * *

><p>With Merle and Houki<p>

"Merle-san."

"Hmm? Is something wrong, Miss. Shinonono?"

"You wanted to train me, help me keep my anger under control." Houki stated firmly dismissing the comment on using her family name while her face fixed on Merle as he looked at her nodding in reply while he brought a potato chip and ate it in front of her as she continued trying not to close her eyes.

"And you said you can help me contain it, help me be a better person." Houki's statement had him nodding one more time all the while taking another potato chip and eating it as she finally felt her already short patience running thin before she took in a deep breath.

"Why are we then sitting here doing absolutely nothing, instead of actual training to help curb my anger?!" She yelled at Merle who instantly jumped to his feet, looking a bit disappointed but still happy nevertheless as he dug his hand for another chip ignoring her outburst.

"And you didn't get the point?" Merle just said as he ate a chip, Houki feeling that she had definitely missed something important when he said that, her mind already catching on a bit as she replied cautiously.

"You wanted me to ask you something about the training."

"That is correct. But you went about it the wrong way, you see the thing is that anger can spread to the most simplest conversations and soon you will be speaking aggressively more than half the time, thus is why I am here to train you and help you overcome such demons. You could have asked me politely, but you resorted to yelling because of impatience and your anger mixed together with that makes your impulsive nature a dangerous character trait to have." He stated as Houki began to feel a bit ashamed that she hadn't thought that far ahead, Merle tapped her shoulder to give her a look of patience.

"Patience is the first step to knowing peace, in fact it is your impulsive nature and your feelings for Ichika that made you pounce at me with a bokken not long ago. I'm sure you carry that incident well in the back of your mind, replaying it all day long?" Merle spoke stunning the girl as she looked at him surprised by his words before he chuckled, tapping to himself as he sat back down on the dojo's hard floor.

"You forget who you're talking to, Houki…I'm good at picking up tells whether you are lying to me or if you want to beat me severely. I believe that you can change of course, it's just that it will take a lot of effort on your part to even take away this anger and we can do that…by sitting down and enjoying the silence of the dojo." Merle finished as he sat back down, resuming his lunch snack before he opened the lunch box looking hungrily at his food before Houki sat back down with him, opening her own lunch box and sitting in a seiza position.

"So how did you know?" She asked, Merle just stopped as he looked up at the dark-haired girl with the ribbon as she shifted her body to the sides nervously her shoulders tensing.

"About your feelings for our dear kind-hearted male pilot, come on…everyone could see that from a mile away. In fact I just saw Cecilia giving the same look to him recently after he nearly beat her in the duel, it seems she carries a bit of admiration but I fear that her admiration may be the cause of her love for Ichika and not true undiluted love." He commented as he took a bite of his food, Houki blushing a bit at his vivid description as she soon joined Merle on the ground eating her food before she asked him another question.

"What about that girl this morning, she seemed to know Ichika a lot…like she met him before in the past."

"It's not my job to count how many women are chasing Ichika's trousers, my job right now is to temper you and mold you into someone with more self-control… hell, did you know that Ichika is scared to death of you?" Houki put down her lunch box as she looked at him worriedly.

"He does?"

"Of course, look I count you lucky because Ichika is a very forgiving man. He is unhelpful however because of that trait, he doesn't tell you of your mistakes unless you do something that is morally wrong or drastic like leaving the weak to perish or not saving lawbreakers from death."

"But lawbreakers deserve punishment…" Houki cut in only to be interrupted by a light tap on the head by Merle who gave her a disdainful look.

"Lawbreakers deserve punishment, true but you standing there letting a bigger atrocity happen like letting people die is stupid. Take a watchman, he is ordered not to sound the horn at night even if there is an invading army that was rumored to be on the march. The watchman sees an unknown army of unknown origin, and he doesn't sound the horn…because of this many people die and the watchman goes free. Now tell me, if you were the judge of the situation what would you do: give the watchman a pat on the back for well done on his orders, or condemn him for standing there and watch as invaders stormed and ransacked his home?" Houki feel silent, her words of protest just beginning to sound stupid as Merle patted her shoulder once again trying to lift her spirits as he opened a bottle of water, drinking some of the refreshing cold water he kept in the fridge before he put the bottle next to his meal resuming his eating, pausing to speak again.

"Houki, being impulsive and not able to account for your actions after is the worst case scenario you can live with for possibly the rest of your life depending on the situation. I also expect you to understand that I am trying to be nice to you about this, and that if you can tell me the source of your anger…well, I won't be having such a bad time trying to come up with ways to teach you but in the meantime while I get you to do these exercises with me you will be training your mind to be patient. Meet me here again tomorrow, think about what I've said about the watchman and tell me your answer." He said as he closed his lunch box and grabbed his bottle, walking towards the changing rooms before he turned to address Houki who was still kneeling there.

"Houki." She turned to face the assistant teacher, who was looking at her from the doors.

"Until you control your anger, don't think you can stand a chance to win Ichika's heart." He said with finality as he closed the door behind him, leaving her well and truly alone.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile with Ichika<p>

"Huh? You mean I'm the **second** childhood friend you knew in your life?!"

"Y-Yeah, that's what I said! Why are you so angry about this, you haven't met her yet!" Ichika had a slightly defensive tone as Ling looked at Ichika with a desperate look, her hair covering her eyes while she still gripped his collar.

"Ichika! You could have told that to me **before** I left for China, at least I would have been prepared!" Ling yelled.

"For what reason could I possibly tell you to prepare for?" Ichika said in confusion, not understanding what had sent Ling into a raging frenzy before she looked at him with a hardened stare as she hissed out the words in his face, her face betraying her awe at the boy's utter cluelessness at her problem shaking him again.

"Competition, that's what! That promise we made, the one we made!" She insisted, her face almost looking like she was betrayed by someone close to her as Ichika could only yell out in honest truthfulness, his eyes closed as he openly declared.

"Please, I don't know what you're talking about…if you're mentioning the one about making sweet and sour pork for me for the rest of my days, I would say I remembered it as you treating me to free food!"

"Ichika…you didn't truly remember the **full** meaning behind our promise?" She shivered uncontrollably as she dropped the poor teen to the ground, his soul about to leave his body from the rapid shaking she gave him before a finger jabbed into his face her expression one of unbridled fury.

"In that case, I challenge you Ichika Orimura to a duel in the Class League tournament!" She declared as she grabbed her tray and walked away, looking back once at Ichika who was trying to wrap his head around the sudden eclipse of the situation before she glared at him just as Merle opened the door to the canteen with his box of food happening on the pair as most of the girls were paying attention to the trouble brewing at Ichika's booth.

"I'll make sure you remember, Ichika Orimura…you dare to mock our promise? I'll teach you a harsh lesson in making promises that you dare not keep!" She let out an angry 'hmph!' storming to the canteen disposal to rid of her food and place her tray near the cafeteria lady, hands clenched as her twin tails were flying around in anger leaving a very lost Ichika and a near-amused Merle who decided to walk to the poor innocent teen and put on the best angry face he could muster.

"Ichika Orimura…I ask again, what the hell did you do?"

"E…EHHHHH?!" Ichika yelled to the heavens for the second time of his school year that day.

Yamada's room

The bed quivered as a moping dark lump fell out from the covers, muttering incoherent sentences that rhymed alongside abandonment and Chifuyu deserving to know about the lesson of being a teacher meant showing up for class as it began to twitch uncontrollably on the floor…

Poor Yamada-sensei did not teach class on that day either due to her nerves breaking that morning.

End

Author's Note: I guess Yamada had enough nervous scares for this story, I will bring her back in the next chapter after all she deserves a break from all that teasing…Well as you can tell this is reaching the Class League fights, and of course I felt it was necessary to let Phantom Task have a go now because we're reaching the Laura arc. Again do let me know what you guys think so I can check if my story is doing alright with you guys, and as for the pairing of this story…maybe, maybe.

Anyways, happy days and blessings to you all! Goodbye!

NapoleonVI


	11. Aftermath, Doubts and Regret

IS: Valkyrie

Author's Notes: Okay, you guys had a nice few days on a trip away from technology and stuff…now I'm relaxed and ready to go for the next installment. Before you read this please note I will be cutting the Rin thing a bit short, instead I will be starting at the very end of the episode...this will be explained at the end.

Disclaimer: I do not own the animation and novelization works of Infinite Stratos and it all belongs to the respective author and company that worked on the former.

* * *

><p>Evening of the first Tournament match<p>

"Okay, explain all that to me again. You said that he **dived** right into the laser of the unmanned IS without a care in the world as a plan to use his One-off Ability." The assistant teacher gave Rin a stunned look who just nodded at his clarification, before he continued with even more surprise.

"And despite Cecilia's intervention with Blue Tears which was part of Ichika's plan, the IS still deployed a laser and he **dived** into the bright blinding light unaware of his bloody actions and nearly killed himself." Rin nodded again, her fingers were twiddling against each other except with more force that the tip of her fingers nearly bent backwards from the sheer pressure before the man in a strange shirt and khaki 3 quarter pants and black slip on shoes placed a hand to his face, smearing the palm in a perfect line down his face muttering some incoherent language that sounded Arabic. Rin in the meantime felt her head threatening to lower itself as the event replayed in her mind over and over like some never ending nightmare, her guilt almost about to swallow her whole by her own words before the match that gravely injured Ichika.

"_Ichika, aren't you supposed to apologize to me?" Rin asked as she stood arms crossed at Ichika who just entered the hanger launch pad onto the crowded stadium where the excited chatters resounded in the air, most of them about the match they were about to witness between a Representative and the one and only male pilot in the history of the IS. Ever since Ichika lost to the Representative and footage was leaked out to the other years, many of them were impressed already by his progress in a week to nearly take down even a Representative of a country much less a long range IS with only a sword in hand, and so with such a rare opportunity to see it again…well you could imagine the excitement and anticipation to see what the male pilot was all about. Behind Ichika, two sets of predatory eyes casted themselves on the Chinese girl with such intensity like a boiling kettle ready to topple slightly unnerving the girl who looked at them, before Ichika's response turned her attention back to him as he had a nervous look on his face._

"_Look, I don't even know just what I am supposed to be apologizing for?" Rin held back the urge to slap her forehead in reply, just how dense was her childhood friend that he couldn't tell what the hell she meant back then with that promise in elementary school? In fact Rin felt that she had made herself rather clear that time with what she wanted, yet Ichika seemed to insult the memory by not really holding it dear to his heart and also that he could have the audacity to say he couldn't catch the meaning. Meanwhile Houki and Cecilia both shared a look of silent cooperation before staring back at the Chinese girl, the new (unknown to Ichika of course) competition in the race for affection before Rin gave him a really surprised look._

"_Are you kidding me? The promise, you remembered the words but not the meaning? It's the meaning, Ichika! The. __**Meaning**__." _

"_But that's what you were going to say right? If I did meet you again in the future I would be treated to your family's famous sour pork by you, that was the promise wasn't it?" The clueless boy said again, however Houki was simmering at this point and was about to yell back at the girl for harassing Ichika before the words of Merle came back to her._

"_**Until you control your anger, you won't stand a chance to win Ichika's heart."**_

_Calm, I need to calm down…_

"_That's it! You are seriously going to continue playing dumb with me? Is that how you treat a girl?" Rin was shouting now, her anger was clearly seen as she clenched her hands into fists while Cecilia readied herself for any aggressive movements from her while Ichika kept turning his head behind at Cecilia and then Houki and back to Rin who was fuming. Wait…_

"_Houki, what are you doing?"_

"_Quiet, Ichika. You're making too much noise, the both of you." Houki reprimanded the two, forcing silence as Rin stepped back a little while Cecilia kept her stance but lowered her hands to the side awaiting any other actions as Ichika bowed in shame._

"_Look, whoever you are…I am not very sure of what is going on, but I don't think now is the time to suddenly explode over a promise that wasn't made clear to this blockhead over here."_

"_Hey!"_

"_But anyway, the point is that I do not know what your problem with Ichika is but the very least it's much better to explain yourself clearly to Ichika instead of asking him to just apologize out of nowhere." Houki advised the furious girl who calmed down significantly as Ichika was left to stutter and attempt to protest only to have Rin just sigh in defeat shrugging lightly as her anger left her._

"_Hm, that's fine…I may as well beat him in the ring and tell it to him." _

"_I won't recommend that. In case you haven't noticed, Ichika is taken already." Houki smirked inwardly as Rin suddenly flared up again, her pigtails straightening in shock before she pointed at her in accusation her green eyes observing the grown female head to toe._

"_W-what do you mean? Are you saying that…" Rin's finger trembled at her before Houki decided to push on her advantage, hooking her arm under the hopeless boy as Cecilia let out a growl while Rin was left with her mouth hanging open at the action and desperately looked at Ichika for an answer as he finally looked down to see Houki attaching herself to his arm, the boy suddenly going into 'panic' mode._

"_W-w-w-what are you doing, Houki!" He asked as he shook his arm, Houki however not letting go of her prize as she glared Rin down with intensity at her stunned green orbs._

"_You see, Ichika is-"_

"_Just what are you doing to Ichika, Houki?" Cecilia's sing-song voice suddenly attracted the two females and Ichika who turned back to look in horror, as Cecilia brandished a laser bit from her Blue Tears and charged up the weapon smiling with dead fish eyes at the trio as the male broke free from Houki's grasp much to the disappointed yelp of the girl before he waved his hands in surrender at the angered English girl._

"_H-Houki was just, uh, tired from training with Merle that's all. Yeah…" Ichika lied, attempting to defuse whatever insanity that had overtaken the women before the three turned to glare at Ichika intently with a look that told him to back off, the boy unable to refuse their request as he stepped back poking his fingers in his ears before the long awaited silence was broken._

"_Stop hogging Ichika!"_

"_You slut, stop your manhandling of Ichika!"_

"_At least grow a chest, washboard!" Houki retorted earning a gasp from Rin who just clenched her fist and chuckled evilly glaring at the Japanese girl bringing her fists to the ready._

"_Oho, it's on…saggy boobs!" Houki now had a serene look as she turned back to Ichika, the boy staring at his childhood friend with a look that pleaded with her to withdraw from the fight before Houki clenched her fists and spoke calmly._

"_Ichika?" The boy gulped, fearing that the insult was beginning to take its toll on the girl who was still smiling as Ichika mentally counted the time down in his head before he replied._

"_Y-yes Houki-san?"_

"_I'm going to hit your friend now." She said plainly before a bokken found its way into her hands from nowhere, charging Rin instantly as the Chinese girl had a shocked look on her face from the speed she exuded cutting the time to reach her in almost half as Houki raised her bokken in the air, Rin being too stunned to move before a hand grabbed Houki and pushed her back by the wooden weapon standing between her and her still frozen target before Houki realized who it was standing with a disappointed face with black hair and orange eyes._

"_Enough! Houki-san if you are going to continue like this, I won't hesitate to put you out of the competition for such a display! Cecilia it goes the same for you, put your IS away or I will disqualify you both!" Chifuyu yelled at the two girls, each of them shivered or flinched from her words but did not hesitate to protest once more._

"_But…"_

"_But…"_

"_No 'buts'! Insist on acting like children and I will treat you like one, and Ichika, Rin! You're holding up the match so get into your IS suits and start up the match already!" She ordered the two fighters who immediately scrambled one at a time to get to the launch ramp, not staying around to face the teacher's wrath._

"Is there something wrong, Rin?"

"Ah! Oh, not at all I was just thinking about something that's all." Rin muttered quietly in the silence of the simple office, her eyes darting to the books that were shelved behind the man as he crossed his legs a look of doubt on his face while he gestured to the girl.

"I know when someone is lying, and you are doing a terrible job right now. What are you thinking about?" Merle spoke with a tone of neutrality, his sharp eyes darting towards her as she flinched slightly unable to form her words before Merle decided to speak first clasping his hands together.

"What happened wasn't your fault. The IS was a factor that had not been anticipated, in fact detection was hard to spot the unmanned mobile suit until it was too late and Ichika's decision was his not yours or because you were weak and all that crap…you're a strong girl and better than that."

"But I can't sit here and just see him like this, I mean I was going to ask him again about the promise and just tell him what it meant to me, what it was to me…I was stupid. I didn't tell him because I thought he was heartless and now I'm paying for it." Rin chided herself, the situation that happened at the hanger was a stupid one and she herself had indeed shoved Ichika away unaware of his dense nature and the promise clouded and shadowed her own words to him. Merle just looked up at the clock, his mind still a bit sore and coming to terms with what happened that morning as well…

* * *

><p><em>Morning, Merle's room<em>

"_Hey, sleepyhead wake up and freshen up."_

"_Uhh, I'm sorry for this Chifuyu but I don't think I can make it there." Merle struggled to rise from his bed, the burning sensation in his forehead and soreness spreading to the rest of his body kept him from standing as he clung to the bed, his tanned skin showing small hues of red as Chifuyu frowned placing her hand on his forehead only to withdraw it with an upset click of her tongue._

"_You're having a fever."_

"_I'll be fine, I just need some pills or syrup for the damn fever and it'll go away." He said as he lifted the covers only to have Chifuyu put her hands down on him, a small red line on his face as he tried to look away Chifuyu however clasping his face and bringing it to her own, eyes searching for anything more than a fever while Merle helplessly felt his body weaken again ready to fall into her at anytime…but he hoped not. It took a few moments before Chifuyu released her grip, her hand to her mouth as she went into thought wondering how to deal with the sudden circumstance._

"_I'll be fine, just send a teacher in to-"Merle started before Chifuyu spoke up cutting his opinion._

"_No. I can do it." _

"_What? You can't and the Class League is too important for you to…" Merle stated before Chifuyu narrowed her orange eyes at him, the assistant teacher just matched hers again for the umpteenth time for the year. In the months that followed since Ichika's admission into the Academy, Merle and Chifuyu had gotten to understand one another better than the short conversations she would have with him during his one year lockup or perhaps to Merle the whole 'stay with me to avoid creepy politicians' was working out too well, in two months they soon knew each other's habits and what to improve on when living together with each other and in the fourth month with the PS4 releasing games to entertain them but only for select periods of time they soon knew what each other's breaking points were or how much it took to anger each other to the point of an argument._

"_I am saying you have to go, no doubt the headmaster would…"_

"_She wouldn't, I have a reputation that I'm upholding remember?" Chifuyu had to smile at her victory on that point shutting Merle up as he held his hands in mock surrender, his thin smile threatening to make her blush again as he spoke in a raspy voice._

"_Still, I think you can't do that because the school needs its best pilot and teacher to oversee this important event." Merle countered, Chifuyu let out a small 'tch'. It was true that while her reputation as the best pilot in the world was holding a very powerful influence on the world political scale, she had not fully utilized it nor was she wanting to…and that proved to be a bit of a weakness when it came to international matters or even responsibility handed to her by others, as her responsible nature would not allow something she could handle to pass her grasp and cause danger to others: a trait almost reminiscent of her own brother._

"_I can show up for the first match, and then I'll check on you. How's that for a plan?" Merle just looked up in surprise at her words, he had expected that point to get her to agree and send in a teacher or the nurse to look after him in the infirmary as he flexed his fingers._

"_Are you sure, I can't have you jeopardizing your reputation for such a normal man like me…" Merle began only to have Chifuyu break out into small laughter, her smile showing as the assistant teacher felt heat come back to his face at the radiant smile but Chifuyu covered her mouth a disappointed groan from Merle escaped him, the man almost about to reprimand himself for revealing that but it went unnoticed._

"_You're not just a 'normal' man now, are you?" Merle just smiled back, his eyes tracing her face and noted the same black uniform she used for work with disdain._

"_We still need to go shopping for clothes, maybe after the tournament we can have some time with Ichika."_

"_Oh? So forward about your desires, assistant teacher…meeting the rest of the Orimura family and trying to spend time is sending a few alarms in my head." Chifuyu teased as Merle just gave a laugh at that, he had walked right into that one willingly before he shot back at her._

"_Maybe I do want someone who's able to accept me and also someone who knows me best. We've been living here after all, the rumors are already spreading like wildfire around the school or so I've heard from the students…the world's greatest pilot and her personal assistant teacher living together, the girls were squealing and talking about something along the lines of romance." _

"_Rumors are a teenager's game, I am too old for that kind of thing and besides most of the time rumors aren't true." Chifuyu spoke her thoughts, Merle just smirking as he looked back at her smiling brightly his hands clutching the sheets slightly._

"_What would you say if I wanted them to be true?"_

* * *

><p>Her face was priceless to Merle, she had stuttered and blushed madly before she left the room promising to check up on him after the first match and stumbled out of the door closing it behind her. He had laughed about the event, but yet despite all that he felt uncomfortable as well at the last sentence he said to her…and the event with him and Ichika back at the stadium when the first week of training for his fight against Cecilia rang in his head, the questions mostly repeating itself like a broken record.<p>

What did he think of her, this legendary prodigy and woman of strength? What could he say, when he was clearly respectful of her wishes but not denying the wish to become more than just roommates and friends? But yet when he read the Bible in his daily spare time, he knew that it would be somewhat impossible…for a Christian to take a wife or husband of atheist faith or any other is detrimental to the faith but yet is accepted though not recommended. He was torn to say the least, sure in his world many people would have said that since his God didn't exist he may as well forgo it and take Chifuyu as a girlfriend, but he knew he could not…he had seen the face of God and was given life, to turn back now and spit on the face of God after the good he did was just as well as taking a knife and ramming it into his heart. Not that he was going to anytime soon, but it was appropriate.

"_I can't decide, should I or shouldn't I…Lord I pray to let you set the path you've chosen for me and what you want me to do, if possible let her know you herself and let me see if she's the one for me." _

Those were the words he spoke to himself in his room, looking over the door which she left by a face filled with the crisis of faith and going after something that he simply lusted after…it is a dangerous game.

"Rin, can you tell me anything else apart from Ichika's injuries? Did the unmanned IS have anything, something significant that you could see?" He said as he snapped himself back to reality, Rin shaking her head as she reflected back on the incident.

"No, it was just unmanned but it should be impossible to make such a thing unless a country has been involved."

"_**More like someone"**__, _Merle thought bitterly to himself as he folded his arms across his chest remembering the argument at the hospital a little over a year ago while he was recovering. He had spoken with Chifuyu, she was upset that such a thing would happen so soon already and just in a few months which hinted something but she walled him off as soon as she realized her slip of the tongue to him and withheld further inquiry from him, telling him she was going to check on her brother and walked off not acknowledging his goodbye. Merle could understand, losing a family member was probably the one thing that can shatter anyone and break them down…an ongoing advantage for people who wish the world harm and death to others. Chifuyu also included her thoughts of asking Tabane just whether she was truly involved in it as she had no news about an attack from the genius, making Merle even more uncomfortable just talking about her again after making sure she would not bother him again.

"Anyway, I'm glad that you are safe and so is Ichika. When the doctors come back with the news they will…" Merle trailed off as he saw Chifuyu's head pop by the window, her orange eyes losing some light as she kept her serious demeanor through the rectangular window a silent plea for him to meet with her as soon as possible, the assistant teacher jumping up to his feet and made his way out excusing himself while Rin turned her head to see Chifuyu's face outside the door nodding at the Chinese girl who just nodded back in sympathy.

"How is he?" Merle asked bluntly, Chifuyu walking off towards the lounge area of the staff offices and opened the door letting him in both occupants sitting on the couch.

"He's fine, that laser tried to kill him but he managed to finish off the unmanned IS before things got serious. The IS readings for the unmanned anomaly was dying away so the attack was not at its strongest despite the light show, and Ichika got away with minor injuries…light burns and such." Chifuyu spoke without a hint of worry or concern, Merle feeling that there was more to it decided to speak his mind and bring her out of her shell which was standing in front of him now.

"That's good to hear that he'll recover, my next question is that are you even feeling remotely okay?"

"No." Chifuyu's answer didn't faze nor cause any raised eyebrow from the assistant teacher who kept his silence while he took in her words, Merle had expected to receive this reaction as he turned to face the wall away from her face giving her some space to set her thoughts straight before she continued clenching her hands to her knees.

"I felt hurt, angry…frustration that I can't even do a thing to help my brother. Sure I can pilot an IS and even win that unmanned IS without a problem but…"

"But you don't have that anymore, do you?" Merle asked as he saw her nod in disdain.

"Somehow I felt that the piloting of the IS was not what I wanted to do, I just…I don't know, I disappeared for a few months as you probably recalled when my year was up and I returned to Japan." Merle nodded, he had remembered how Ichika was so worried he nearly went out to town just to look for her before he held the boy down and told him to wait patiently for her to come back. "What I didn't tell you was that Byakushiki was my only IS and because I felt I was better off not to attract too much attention I retired from piloting it and just thought teaching others would ease the unrest in my mind, but it never did. What I saw today just told me how much wrong my decision was at the time, no one is safe and not even my brother."

"I wanted him to live a normal life with me, I would be the teacher for an academy while he would go on to do great things for himself and make a name…but then when 'it' happened, I just sat there while the government told me they were going to put my brother into custody for protection and I knew I had to save my family once again. I put him into this life and I felt like I could pull myself together for the consequences but..." Merle gripped her hand, attempting to comfort the woman as a droplet of water fell on the back of his palm before she turned to him letting Merle see with painful eyes the teary orange eyes and messy hair while small streams of water were running lines down her cheeks the young man wrapping his hand around her and brought her to his chest, Merle allowing the woman to let out her frustration and anger as she clutched his sleeves a hint of vanilla filling her nose as she cried.

"I'm scared, Merle. I'm frightened and afraid, frustrated and angry at whoever that made my brother into a pilot…if I had a wish, I wished I never had that damned IS and I wished I had a normal family but I don't! I am scared not for myself, but my brother's life being put in jeopardy because of my decision."

"I know, you didn't mean to hurt your brother…but he didn't have a choice, you had to make a decision and that was the consequences that you suspected and could not have prevented. You did what was best for him, just as what you did for me was the right thing to do for a safer haven." He said as he pushed himself slightly away from her, using one of his thumbs to wipe away the tears that was streaming down the woman's face as he stared at her eyes feeling captivated by them before he resisted the urge to do anything, instead he leaned forward and without hesitation kissed her forehead lightly before he looked down at her feeling heat come to his face as he pulled away in realization of his action, the man stumbling to his feet and quickly strode towards the room with a fast walk but turned around to face her with an uncomfortable look.

"You don't have to suffer alone, this has been plaguing you for some time but the thing is that…I experienced so much with Ichika and I do kind of understand how you feel about this, but know that whether you know it or not you have one more person you can consider family." Chifuyu wiped her eyes as she heard the last word, her eyes widened in surprise as she turned around to see that the man had disappeared once more leaving her with some space of her own as a sudden stray memory echoed in her mind.

_Onee-chan…I am family too!_

"He sounds just like you…Madoka."

* * *

><p>With Merle<p>

"Looks like he's fine, I'll tell Rin to check up on him before I forget." The man spoke as he entered his office, surprised to see Yamada-sensei replacing the young Rin in her seat as he had a stunned look on his face looking around the room while Yamada got up from her seat and bowed slightly with a smile on her face.

"Rin-san is going to check up on Ichika-san at the infirmary, the doctors said he will be fine."

"You have a fine staff here at the academy, I can't ask for anything more." Merle complimented the teacher who just looked away with a small blush on her face, her hands squeezing each other as the duo stood in the room Merle just scratching his head as he turned back to the door.

"Wait, Merle-san…we have a new transfer student coming in from France this time, and you may not believe this but it is a boy." Yamada's words struck a chord in the man as he suddenly turned back with a stunned look on his face, the expression shared by Yamada who scratched the back of her head in return still able to keep her smile.

"Yes I was surprised too when they told me that, in fact now the government is keeping that a secret from the rest of the world and hoping it doesn't lead to more widespread panic across the world than it already needs."

"A good choice, Ichika suffered enough as it is as well as…" He trailed off as the green-haired woman nodded in agreement, her smile faded into a deep frown with her troubled look as she sat on the seat.

"So how is Chifuyu-san?"

"She's fine, but I suspect she needs more support from an extended family…which means me, due to my position as guardian over the young boy for his middleschool days and beyond even though the title now rings hollow with Chifuyu back in action. I will be taking care of her in a way, though I'm not surprised by her reaction to this sort of thing…her protectiveness of her brother is a curse more than a blessing right now." Merle decided to share his thoughts, Yamada nodding again to his words.

"She needs all the help she can get, and knowing you I think you are the most talented for the job."

"But I wonder if she does trust me."

"You've actually went further than most, many people in her younger days could only see her for her outward appearance and it was cutting the air and atmosphere like butter. It scared so many except for Tabane-san who spoke with her and made her come out of her shell, since then no one has the opportunity to say they did except you and even she hasn't told me all of her secrets." Yamada spoke with a tender voice, her eyes looking at the setting sun as Merle flexed his fingers thinking of something before he faced Yamada a serious gleam in his eyes.

"Is Tabane involved?" Yamada shook her head in reply, the young man clenching a hand as he looked out at the sunset a hardened stare at the bright orange ball.

"She better not, because if she is…I won't just slap her for it."

End

Author's Notes: Okay, now that that is over I just want to share my thoughts on why did I not get into the fight scene for this one with the battle and all that. I guess the thing is that for me to suddenly say I want a flashback for the fight while focusing on the aftermath, it doesn't add up in my opinion. Why did I choose to skip the fight? The fact is that several circumstances made me change my mind:

Chifuyu's reaction despite being worried and all it isn't shown enough for that scene, but I figure that such an event should be more core-shaking to her beliefs…the pilot who retired to spare her brother another Mondo Grosso incident would feel a bit more impact that despite her efforts and knowing what might happen, it would still have a very deep impact.

Secondly was the story, I wanted to push it to the better parts which is the Laura arc that coincides with the Charlotte arc as it is where I wish to have a more planned out story and a bit more action put there because I feel it is the most interesting plot point to focus on.

Why did I add in Madoka? I honestly can't really say it clearly, even I am trying to work out the words to say but I guess when I saw that she had respect for her sister it showed some measure of attention and a developing relationship that got cut for some reason, hopefully the volumes to come will show what happened.

Also, I figure that the reason I put in the aftermath of the unmanned IS situation was so that I feel the aftermath is more impactful than the fight and just seeing Ichika nearly get blown up, all the while knowing 'he's got plot armor, he'll walk it off." No, that isn't right for me…the aftermath is when doubts and all manner of thoughts come to light.

With that ends the chapter of IS Valkyrie…let me know your thoughts if this was a good change for you, or if you preferred people bashing each other up before the aftermath.

The VI ladies and gentlemen, signing off


	12. The True Blackbird, Fix me

IS: Valkyrie

Author's Notes: Yo guys and I really am pumped for this next arc, hopefully the last chapter did not throw you off and honestly I had some suggestions forwarded to me from Irate Write who gave off a few ideas, take a look at the reviews stream if you want to see what he suggested to me and yes, the music box thing will be featured soon. Have patience. In this chapter, Merle is the advisor who has so far given some if not many words of wisdom…but eventually the advisor will soon find that his personal troubles need healing, what will happen?

Without further ado, here is the next chapter for IS: Valkyrie.

"Beginnings have ends, it's just what you do to get to the ending you want."

Guys be sure to go to youtube and type in 'ascension of the jackdaw' and watch the 1+ million views, it will make you feel holy!

* * *

><p>Class 1<p>

"Okay guys settle yourselves into your seats, and listen to me! I have an announcement to make, Chifuyu is taking a day off so it will be just me and Yamada to take care of you guys…so please don't make so much noise than Ichika already causes."

"Hey!" Ichika yelled at Merle who once again decided to give him the butt end of the joke, the class erupting to giggles while the only male student sighed once more his mind already giving up on this whole situation that unfolded before him as he slumped forward onto his desk, the ache of the small burns still stinging his skin as it bristled against his uniform. It had only been two days since the incident with the unmanned IS that interrupted the Class Leagues, thus more lessons had to be put into schedule to replace the dates for matches until they could postpone the competition to a later date the same month. In the meantime, Ichika was sweating bullets as he tried to contain his burns from flaring up shifting his body often to ensure the fabric did not brush the small slightly red spots while a patch was strapped to his cheek for one of the more serious burns that literally got the skin peeling off, Ichika making a promise that day to not charge into lasers blindly.

"Anyways, I have a new transfer student to introduce you to…women, as an advise I urge you to hold on to your panties and bra straps, the latter for those who are more daring than the others, as I welcome our new student. Please come in, Charles!" Merle announced as the class erupted into sudden whispers and hushed hisses making Ichika sit up straight when he heard the name 'Charles' echo in his ear, the teenage boy suddenly feeling time stop abruptly as he turned his head towards the door watching it slide open to reveal a sight that he did not expect to see in an all-girls school. Ever.

Standing in the doorway, hands folded over each other in a shy gesture dressed in a male student's uniform stood a blonde haired wom-I mean man, a ponytail tied at the very end of his hair with a small pretzel ribbon as a pair of purple eyes scanned the entirety of the classroom staring at the desks which were humming to life with word-littered screens making him feel awed by the technology displayed in the academy as Merle suddenly scooped a hand underneath the boy's shoulder and pulled him close to his proximity holding a straight face while ignoring the teenager's scream of protest while the class were roused by the sudden appearance of yet another male student, Ichika already hearing the same whispers that plagued him on the first day returning to haunt his mind.

"Another male pilot?!"

"How can that be?"

"He's so cute! I wanna hug him!"

"Everyone this is Charles…" Merle trailed off as he looked up to the ceiling in deep thought, biting his lower lip before he turned back to the blonde boy with a look of query at the teenager. "Xavier?"

"Uh, it's Dunois Mister. Merle…my father owns the Dunois Company back in France." The French student replied in a polite tone, addressing the teacher with a nervous frown before Merle just sighed at the boy and patted his back making Charles nearly fall on his face with the force of the slap, Merle however catching the boy by the scruff of his neck and pulled Charles to his feet before he gestured to Charles to introduce himself while he took up position at the podium pulling out his phone and laid it perfectly on the podium facing the class and Charles in frame pressing the record button on the camera app, the action not going unnoticed by the other teacher in the room who grabbed the phone from Merle in response, the assistant teacher hissing at Yamada who simply stuffed the phone into her pocket with a very displeased glare telling him to not fool around in the class as Merle nodded reluctantly, his own disappointment evident.

"Uh, my name is Charles…Charles Dunois. It's good to meet you everyone and I hope you'll take care of me for the rest of my three years in this academy." Charles ended his introduction just as Merle heard the silence begin to hang over the entire classroom, furthering unnerving the new student who turned in earnest to Merle watching the man's face twist from professionalism to a complete 180 as he looked unnerved as well, Ichika in the meantime was getting even more panicky when he heard the whispers turn to soft giggles and glanced behind to see the students once again giving off predatory glances in the direction of their new prey making the boy shiver as his thoughts now turned to protecting the new boy from the girls while Merle immediately gestured to the desk next to Ichika, the teacher shooting a look that said to the noble young teen to take care of Charles a sad look on his face before he let Charles take the seat next to Ichika, the French boy smiling at the Orimura who just gave a normal wave and turned back to the front where Merle began to teach his lesson for the morning.

2 hours later

"So that's why you have to learn how to customize your own packs for your IS, now are there any questions pertaining to the advantages of customization packages?" Merle finished his lecture, stirring Ichika from his nap as he opened his eyes just in time when the raven-haired teacher turned to face the class of girls who were fervently taking notes of the lesson, Merle chuckling at their vigor for learning…true passion for learning never ceased to renew him everytime he taught classes and the advantage of an all-girl class was the fact that distractions were at a minimum aside from the occasional gossip and notes passed to one another, the lesson had gone better than expected even without Chifuyu to keep the girls in line and Yamada once again lent her knowledge to clarify and correct him when he did mess up.

"How about Ichika's Byakushiki? We've seen his matches and so far he's been beaten pretty badly, except for Cecilia-san who clearly lost her advantage of close distance." A student questioned the young teacher by raising her hand, Merle hearing a sigh of relief from Ichika who got a strange look from Charles unaware of the chaos that would soon ensue when the class was over.

"Well yes, that's a good question. Ichika, why do you not have packs for your IS?" Merle asked with a mischievous grin before Ichika looked dumbly at the teacher, obviously unaware of the question before he answered with a scratch of his head.

"…IS have packages?"

*SMACK*

"Ow…" Ichika rubbed his forehead where a textbook from the podium flew and directly interacted with the boy's face, the book thumping on the cool metallic surface of the table while Merle had a cheeky smile on his face retracting his outstretched limb back under the teacher's desk, the teacher seeing Cecilia and Houki doing a synchronized facepalm at the idiocy of the teenage male while Yamada beside him just put on a friendly smile whether out of innocence or fully being aware of the situation the young man had not figured out yet, the bell ringing loudly over the silence signaling the end of class before a loud mental gong sounded in Merle's head as the entirety of the females excluding Houki and Cecilia who were still in a state of slight unbelief at Ichika's laziness in class began to whisper again and to make things much more creepier, were the faces that twisted into unnatural grins or predatory eyes of want were cast on the unsuspecting French student in front of them. Of course Ichika was already going to immediately grab the arm of Charles and make a run for it, but Merle in anticipation was faster in that regard as he reached into his pocket and threw an improvised smoke bomb onto the ground just as the first brave females were about to swarm the poor duo.

"Run, Forrest, run!" Merle screamed in fear as Ichika grabbed Charles while their male teacher flung the doors open allowing the pair to escape in the dark smoke plume that covered the front of the class, Merle hitting the fire alarm as a widespread panic ran across the hallway while the assistant teacher now did his job yelling over the smoke as the water sprinklers above began to shower unto the students.

"All students, get to the main assembly hall for your fire emergency drill…go!" He ordered as the girls moved out in a slightly organised manner while he caught a glance from Cecilia and Houki who both shot appreciated glances at him before they joined the wave of females heading for the exit, leaving him and Yamada alone with the latter glaring at him as he scratched his head.

"Whoops?"

* * *

><p>Hours later, lunchtime<p>

"Phew that was close!" Ichika spoke to his new friend sitting opposite him in the canteen booth eating his salad and fried rice, the former of the two just gave a silent thank you to his unanticipated savior who was now sitting in with the Headmaster for questioning on why he threw a smoke bomb in the middle of class…it was due to Ichika's honesty that actually got Merle into trouble with the highest power in the school, but the clueless boy never knew that part.

"The food's good, thank goodness for Merle-sensei's intervention!" Charles sighed in relief, poking a fork into the salad before a thought began to sink into the two students who were called into the assembly hall once the fire alarm rang. Apparently after Merle's idea of hitting the fire alarm, the two students who had only sought to avoid the maniacal girls in their class instead ran all the way to Ichika's dorm, and it took half-an hour before a teacher found them and demanded an explanation which soon led to them being talked to by a senior staff member before they were allowed to go for lunch.

"Wonder what's happening to Merle-sensei right now." Charles wondered with a hint of worry while Ichika waved his hand dismissively.

"He'll be fine, he's done worse things than this." Charles now felt more reason to worry for the teacher, he had heard that the man was a new teacher from his briefing of the school itself and some of the important staff members...better yet he was a rather unique individual who had something that was so important the Germans stonewalled the French government, although according to the briefing it was a side objective for what he really needed as Ichika continued to eat in bliss unaware of Charles' worried face before the blonde-haired boy resumed his meal.

_Ichika Orimura...it seems that it is misfortune that has fallen on you._

* * *

><p>Meanwhile in the Headmaster's office, Merle was sitting nervously in his seat tapping his fingers on the armrest as he looked around the boring office with a crest of the academy above the main oak desk and chair the carpet at least a modern design while several bookcases filled the small office walls with knowledge, it still amazed him how the head of the academy could even settle for such a small office. Beside him was none other than Yamada, the other teacher in the room who had a stressful look on her face like she was a condemned criminal facing trial Merle deciding to leave the poor teacher alone before he faced her wrath, the two unable to look at one another as the clock to the right continued to tick.<p>

"Well, this was expected from Ichika to admit that fact that I had to do what I needed to do."

"Shut up, Merle-san…I won't forgive you for this." Yamada piped up, silencing his words as the door clicked open and a set of heels clacked into the office as Merle turned to see the slim figure of a 40 year old woman walking and sitting in the chair in front of them, brown eyes and raven dark hair with a slightly round face eyed the two of them with sharpness and a hardened aura surrounding her while Merle felt whatever wisecrack words die in his throat when the headmaster turned to address him with a cold professional tone.

"So, I heard you tried to save two male students from a crowding of sexually active girls."

"Yes, headmaster I did." Merle replied as politely as he could, resisting the urge to burst into a defensive lecture right there as Yamada sank into her seat.

"I also heard from the very student involved in the incident that you covered their escape with an improvised smoke bomb that you managed to craft and, according to a piece of paper from the complaints section of my paperwork…" Merle rolled his eyes as a formal letter was pushed in front of him while Yamada sank even further into her seat but this time with a glare shooting at the assistant teacher who just looked at the green-haired woman with a look that pleaded for her to save her words later as he read the contents of the letter while the headmaster continued her words. "It says that you were in the science room using materials to and I quote 'attempt to copy the recipes for various bombs listed in Assassin's Creed Revelations: a video game where the main character could create and utilize violent methods in the art of assassination.' Is that true?" The woman folded her arms at the accusation laid out in front of him as Merle found no words coming to mind as he just nodded in confirmation.

"Yes, I did that." The silence added to the awkwardness of the situation as the headmaster nodded in acceptance of his words, the woman taking back the folder as she leaned back into her chair giving the man a disapproving eye as she spoke.

"Look, Merle-san…I understand that you are doing what you think is right, and I know you are a very 'unique' individual with his own sense of doing what you feel is okay. But right now, it isn't…you just violated two things in this academy by disrupting lessons and also making use of the science equipment to make weaponry, and I don't really care in particular what Chifuyu's status in the academy is but what you did is not the kind we see in a teacher in this school. I want to let you off with a warning this time, Merle-san…this may be considered a rogue state legally, but this academy still has morals and rules to follow that we have to abide by." Merle merely nodded in contemplation, his eyes going back to Yamada who rose back to a sitting position as the headmaster gestured the two of them to leave the office as the woman suddenly called after Merle.

"Not you, Merle-san. I just have a word to say to you." The man gave a sigh as he turned back facing the headmaster who relaxed her tense posture, taking a bottle of alcohol out on the table as she drew out a glass.

"I heard you and Chifuyu are together."

"Ha, if you call roommate flatting being together then-"

"I'm serious about this, are you two really together?" The headmaster had a cold face but her posture still relaxed and less tense, Merle feeling a bit more freedom to speak with the woman as she poured out a glass for herself gesturing to the teacher who refused the offer politely.

"I have a…personal crisis of faith, and I need time." Merle just stated firmly, the headmaster looking up at him from her seat with a slightly doubtful look on her face as she folded her arms.

"Really? From what I've heard Chifuyu has the hots for you and wants to be with you, or so the rumors go."

"They really need to watch their mouths, gossip isn't for them." Merle deadpanned, hands behind his back as the headmaster chuckled, taking a sip from her glass of alcohol sweeping a hand through her raven locks.

"To be honest, you both are going to have this conversation sooner or later. I just want to advise you on that, Merle-san and also I noticed your expression was distant like I was somewhere else while I was speaking to you about regulations…care to explain why that is?"

"I cannot say, it's a personal matter regarding what I plan to do once I am free from the German ambassador's grasp." Merle advised the woman who just snorted at his defensiveness, taking a long drink of the alcohol and pouring herself another glass as she shook her head.

"Well that's typical, let me tell you a little something I learnt over the years as a woman and a person in charge of running the show in an academy, care to hear it?" When Merle nodded she sat back and drank her cup, her fingers tapping the side of the ceramic piece.

"When you really are troubled, and if you think that no one else can listen to your cries for help and yet you give out advise and comfort the troubled and suffering…who can save you but the person you consider the closest to understanding you in thoughts other than yourself?" Seeing Merle's eyes widen in a stunned expression of understanding, the headmaster chuckled as she drank her alcohol stashing the bottle underneath her table while the young teacher stared at her like he was slapped in the face.

"Why are you telling me this, Headmaster?"

"If I were you, Merle-san…Chifuyu is pretty much all you've got to survive in this desperate self-destructive world."

* * *

><p>With Chifuyu<p>

Chifuyu lay awake in her bed, her orange eyes were flickering on and off as she tried to rest but found no interest in the idea at the moment as her mind replayed a particular memory from the day before in the teacher lounge before she threw the covers over her head, the woman burying her head into the pillow as she replayed the kiss on her forehead that was the source of the thoughts swirling in her mind since last night.

"Did it mean anything?" The woman muttered in the covers before she shook her hair, noticing particles of dust falling out of her untied hair as she removed herself from the soft cushion of her pillow and flopped herself onto her back facing the ceiling once more staring blankly at the roof. It had only been a day since the talk between her and Merle regarding her thoughts about letting her brother take on the new responsibility of becoming an IS pilot, and how she wanted a normal life with her brother by her side…but what confused her was what happened near the end and even when she got back to her room Merle had avoided her completely, in fact he suggested the day off for her to relax and get her mind refreshed without any distractions or video games that he may have bought for the PS4 over the months due to the good pay of being an academy teacher and a male one at that. Although she thanked him for it, she felt an underlying motive for him asking her to take a break leaving him and Yamada together…Chifuyu fought the urge to clench her fists as she thought of it, recovering a moment later to ruffle her messy black hair.

"Ugh, what's wrong with me? Merle's an incredible man, sure…but is he really serious about being together? Merle, you're confusing me. Stirring up things I thought I never had, you made me break out of my shell just to talk with you over the months and now, you just kiss my forehead and walk away? Ask for a break? What do you want, Merle?" She growled before she muttered to herself again.

"Argh, he's just so…complicated, the way he walks and moves are erratic and dysfunctional sometimes like he has a treasure trove of regrets and things weighing him down, but he doesn't share it with me like Madoka. He doesn't understand himself, his past is still obscured but all I know is his father was not a good influence in his life and it drove him from home yet I don't think it's the end of all his worries. I see him sitting at the counter sometimes, a glass of water in hand and playing that music box over and over again like some tune he needed to keep himself sane…he's been scratching his head, rotating the dials one by one and copying them into a book just to keep track of possibilities. He's been like this, a bit obsessed with whatever was in the box and hoping for answers to this 'mission' he was given…and he doesn't tell me how to help." Chifuyu broke out of her monologue as she rose from the bed, her mind still in freefall as she tried to piece together what she was going to say to him before a sudden knock echoed on her door alerting her to a presence at the door as she got up from her bed, dressed in a pair of white shorts that reached to her knees while a black tank top covered her upper body Chifuyu ignoring the soreness and lure of the bed as she walked to the door and opened it to come face to face with the source of her turbulent thoughts.

"Chifuyu, I think I need to talk with you." Merle said with a hint of worry as Chifuyu crossed her arms, her mind still a bit sleepy as she stared blankly at the young man giving the sharpest look she could give.

"You think? Merle I have something to ask you as well."

"Oh?"

"The music box, the fact that you are so focused on a 'mission' I am not even informed of, and the fact that you are keeping many things back about your past…I have a whole list of questions to ask." Chifuyu vented, Merle feeling more upset as he ruffled his hair his eyes reflecting a lucid brown as he looked at the chairs near the counter and gave a pleading glance at the woman.

"I'm sorry, I have very little to go on for certain questions that you may have."

"I have time…Yamada can take care of herself." Chifuyu deadpanned, determined not to let this opportunity go to waste to talk about this stranger who took her breath away…Chifuyu mentally slapped herself, she needed to focus as she gestured to the chairs Merle accepting the gesture as he moved to the cupboard and took out two glasses of water and a bottle of water putting them on the table in front of Chifuyu who slid onto her seat gripping the glass before Merle filled her cup and placed it back in her hand, a gentle smile still on his face as Chifuyu couldn't help but relax her face as he sat down next to her.

"So, what do you want to know?" Merle spoke as he drummed his fingers on the table.

"What's with the music box?" Merle let out a click of his tongue before he leaned back in his chair, glass in hand as he took a drink of water.

"Clarify."

"Don't play smart, you were obsessing over it. You played it multiple times every night and you tried to look at the symbols to decipher their meanings…that isn't just a box, you know that and I know it so just tell me what is it with that box that draws you in?" Chifuyu questioned her orange eyes looking at Merle who had a bit of hesitation before she spoke again her eyes continuing to stare at him.

"Merle you told me I can consider you a part of my family so I am giving you the chance to back up those words…what is in the box that draws you in? Why can't you tell me about your mission, what is there in the detail that makes it so hard to trust anyone but yourself?" Chifuyu repeated as Merle gave a look that rivaled her glare as he spoke softly after a few moments of silence massaging his temple as Chifuyu watched his gentle face disappear and a more worried one replaced it.

"I don't know, I don't know why the box draws me in but…I feel like there is something there, like a piece that is missing in my whole purpose and honestly it scares the hell out of me whenever I find myself staring over that box just wanting to know what was inside of it. Chifuyu I wish I can tell you but this box…I do not know what it contains but it has to be solved, I know it has to!" Merle insisted as Chifuyu took a breath, she had expected such an answer but probably the next thing she would suggest may cause some distrust from the man as she put her suggestion forward.

"Have you actually considered asking Tabane about this?" Merle didn't reply, his face did become tense for a bit before he relaxed nodding in response much to the woman's surprise as he drank a bit of his water clearing his throat.

"Chifuyu, a little over a year ago I stormed out of that room unable to believe that what I heard was coming from a girl like that…and honestly a year for me dealing with that? It caused so much anger in me, I was greatly disturbed by what casual remarks this Tabane could throw about giving her tech willingly to power-hungry politicians and leaders throwing the whole world into disarray, and I also reminded you that I hated the lack of responsibility she held for her actions but even so…even so, I cannot argue that for a while now I've been thinking of forwarding it to Tabane for deciphering or at least to let her have a preliminary scan to know what I'm opening isn't some Pandora's Box."

"I don't see how you aren't able to-"

"Let me finish, Chifuyu. Please." Merle suddenly lost his cocky tone, the warmth and nonchalance suddenly having a polar effect as he now had a serious face looking straight at Chifuyu who kept silent, but worry was beginning to show as he continued.

"I had nightmares, Chifuyu for the last few weeks and months I've been having nightmares about that box ever since I first touched it…it is starting to scare me even more when I haven't anticipated for the box's contents. I just feel that when I find it," Merle shivered as he recalled the memory of a waterfall, his hand holding a weird gun and holding it in front of the shadow showing a desperate look, a plea to live…and then he pulls the trigger on himself. "The dreams are so vivid, each time I am standing over the waterfall ledge with a gun to my head speaking about the box and what it has in vague words, the feeling of the whole world pushing me to the brink and when it couldn't be worse but then I see a shadow and when it parted…" Merle cut himself off as he bowed his head, forgetting the glass of water ever existed as he buried his face into his palm making Chifuyu panic as she saw his face rise from the table with a fearful look.

"What?" Chifuyu felt a shiver of dread and an ominous look that shone on Merle's face before he looked at her with a very frightened gaze like he was staring at a ghost before he croaked out the words.

"I saw you, okay? I saw you standing in front of me as I hold the damn gun to my head, my face pleading for your understanding and yours a plea to live…God, I don't want to remember but it's etched in my memory like an itch that refuses to go away, I can't let that happen to me!" Merle managed to get the words out of his mouth, his hand gripped some of his hair as he looked to Chifuyu who had a stunned look on her face at the very mention of her in his dream before she grabbed his hand and pulled him into her arms gripping the terrified man in a hug as Merle felt himself shiver in her arms as her face was buried in his shoulder her hands stroking his back while she hugged the demoralized man, smelling the familiar vanilla wafting from him as she looked at the side of his head her heart feeling pain enter as she tightened her grip on him.

"It's okay Merle, those are dreams." She assured him as the man nodded closing his eyes to feel her warmth spread through his body like fire, his mind fighting the urges to kiss her as he replied shakily.

"I know, I know…but it's so hard knowing that your mind is given such vivid flashes and memory, memory for me is a thing that I wish to forget a lot. My father abused me, drove me out of home when we moved over to another country safe from the ravages of war that tore my country apart, and then I was left alone with no one. Not my mother and not my father to comfort me other than the latter torturing me and trying to do things to me, I did hate him once but like my past that is a long time ago and something I wish to keep to myself." Merle spoke as he massaged his forehead further, the dream had been plaguing him since the day he knew about it and the sequence was always the same, a waterfall and a suicide like it was something he should anticipate. What he felt at the moment was a swirl of emotions he kept locked away, his thoughts circulating in his mind all unsure of his role and his thoughts about the siblings he had to help…where were they? What happened to them because he was delayed by some ambassador trying to extract secrets from him when he didn't know? It was his fault that if they weren't safe and he was too late, Merle felt like screaming in despair to the dark void of his mind as these doubts poured in the accumulated amounts he held back over the year and months as he felt his world grow darker. His father's voice rang once more in his head, taunting him…accusing him.

**I OWN YOU…YOUR MOTHER SUFFERS BECAUSE OF YOU DISAPPEARING!**

"I didn't want you to worry, I thought that by keeping it from you and dealing with it-"

"You're not alone, Merle you said so yourself…you've been keeping so much from me and Ichika, do you know that we worry about you whenever we see you?" Merle perked up at that facing Chifuyu who gave him a comforting glance her hands still on his shoulders keeping him at arm's length.

"What do you mean?"

"What you think, Merle no baka? You think Ichika was the only one watching you in your room studying that box and tossing and turning in the night sweating heavily and gripping the sheets? I've seen it as well when you are sleeping in bed at home and in the academy dorm for a whole year, you're clearly not well and even more so is that it's happening on my watch! Don't you know I worry about you too?" Chifuyu said harshly at the assistant teacher his eyes looking away from her in shame, his hands turning into fists as he slumped forward in his seat hands covering the sides of his head as the dark sphere of false words, doubts and worries began to flood slowly into his mind as he felt her grip tighten on his arms as he struggled to even say the words.

"I didn't know…I'm sorry for making you worry, but this box can't just get out of my mind it's too important! The dreams, the stress of not knowing where to go and the stagnation and emptiness that I felt and feel without fulfilling anything regarding my purpose and the past…help me, Chifuyu please…I don't know what to do!" He cried out desperately pulling at Chifuyu's heart as she gripped him harder, lifting his face to hers as she looked on with fear at his sudden plea before she replied with a choked tone.

"Let it go, Merle. Please, let me in…" Chifuyu pleaded with the man as he looked up at her desperately, looking torn as he began to lose his voice as his mind fought with itself over what to say and do before he drew a blank, his eyes looking at the orange orbs and Chifuyu's pleading expression as his defences wore down slowly. No, she was here to help but he couldn't endanger her to him like that dream! He had to let her go, release her grip tell her she can't stay around him…he was fine handling this on his own, he didn't want to be a burden like he felt to his family!

"I-I…" Merle replied as he took a breath, letting the steam go as he looked up at Chifuyu who glanced at him her orange eyes dancing in the afternoon light it captivated him again as he felt his mind go blank once again, Merle attempting to regain control of his body but instead felt rooted to the spot. Chifuyu on the other hand noticed his actions and his mood changed almost immediately as she felt her cheeks go red again, unable to resist as Merle felt his control begin to crumble before his hands grabbing her by the shoulders gently squeezing her arms softly Chifuyu letting out a yelp as he kept his eyes on her own, the man suddenly moving towards her face shocking her momentarily by his bold action before she closed her eyes herself and accepted her emotions, the woman leaning in as well to get herself closer to Merle as both parties did not notice the door to their dorm opening and Ichika strolling in with a boxed set of food in a plastic bag.

"Chifuyu-nee, are you feeling all rig-WHAT THE HELL?!" Ichika's voice suddenly broke the moment as both Chifuyu and Merle broke out of their trance, the duo turning to see Ichika as Chifuyu stared at her brother awkwardly her face still close to Merle's who just scratched the back of his head glancing at the younger Orimura sibling with a sheepish smile, the latter dropping the bento onto the floor before Merle released his grip on Chifuyu's shoulders.

"Uh…my bad for not telling you?"

"MEERRRLLLLEEE!" Ichika screamed in anger as the whole dorm shook from the echo.

End

Author's Notes: This is honestly the closest I can get, to be honest guys I was thinking that this should happen for a while now I mean it's been 11 chapters in total with them having the hots for one another. I have some trouble with romance scenes, because I haven't really done enough except for two in the Weapon and Asylum but the thing was that I felt because the first was already being an interest to a slow progression and the latter the same but had old chemistry. I find that writing this romance scene was a bit hard as I couldn't really find the words to tell how it goes, or how it should be…but I hope this satisfies.

Review and let me know what improvements could be made to this chapter and if you felt this was soon or you felt it should belong.

The VI


	13. Space, Disagreements, Welcome Bodewig

IS: Valkyrie

Author's Notes: I feel the need…the need to initiate an answer to questions that need addressing…firstly is the previous chapter that I have of course have made, I really hope it hasn't come as sudden but I needed to bring out what Merle has been thinking. So far you knew him by action and his thoughts seemed focused but I felt that inside he was different, a destabilizing man in the entirety of his mission to save three siblings and also treasuring the new life given to him without his mother. I just figured that it was time to reveal the weakness that plagued him even though the mischief was there and as for Ichika I will soon turn the focus on him as the arc gets more interesting.

Here is IS Valkyrie's new installment.

"Would you kindly take him to the gay bar?"

* * *

><p>Germany<p>

"Ambassador, we'll be setting off for Japan soon…would you like to deliver any messages before the escort leaves?"

"No thank you, I've already sent my best wishes of success for our Representative candidate that should be more than sufficient to say the least." The ambassador relaxed into his chair, the wafting scent of coffee beans hazily hung in the room while the windows were slightly opened to let the cold air in blowing most of the unwanted smell away into the distant green park below his office, the ambassador looking down at the various men and women making their way about their own lives with such efficiency as a shuffle of footsteps echoed behind him the sound of the door being shut before the aged man turned towards his laptop and keyed in a few letters, his face becoming stern as a visual screen of Squall appeared in her private bedroom dressed in a blue dress with a flower hairpin at the side of her blonde hair this time her hands were free of any alcohol while he gave his report unflinching at the glare she sent at him through the screen.

"Laura Bodewig is on the way to her destination in a few hours, did your 'escort' manage to infiltrate?" Squall had a glare on her face before she replied sharply at the older gentleman, her teeth slightly gritting in annoyance as she clicked her tongue.

"It seems that the planned escort was intercepted by someone and my team was put out of commission…did you tell anyone about this plan, ambassador?"

"No, I didn't." The ambassador spoke in defence before Squall went into thought before she spoke again, a look of suspicion already cast as she turned to the aged man who was sipping his coffee once more as his mind began to race with likely scenarios before he leaned back. "I only remember entertaining a Russian guest not too long ago, aqua light blue hair and an ambassador like myself…" Squall's eyes heightened in confirmation as she closed her crimson eyes, taking in a deep breath as the ambassador looked thoroughly confused by her actions before the Phantom Task leader spoke with a calm and crisp tone, her annoyance showing yet again as she narrowed her eyes leaning back into her seat a hand cupping the side of her face ruffling the blonde hair.

"That was a Russian operative from the Sarashiki family, apparently their networks have finally caught up to ours and managed to trace a leak to you from earlier conversation and are probably closing in on you."

"I see." The ambassador took the news with little concern in his voice, Squall raising an eyebrow before she let out a chuckle at the man's own tolerance of the dire risk he had put himself in as she looked back at the ambassador a serious frown on her face.

"You don't seem in the least surprised by this news."

"I am not, because although the Sarashiki family is a well-known agency in Russia for their efficiency and the way they get things done with speedy and reliant results…I don't think that operative will be remotely making his way to his home right about now, and I have some pull with the higher powers including the special forces and the spy agencies and networks. Now I ask you, how can a simple spy evade the most subtle of city-wide alerts and his presence already known to every possible avenue of law enforcement there is?" As he said this, the door to his office slammed open with two agents grabbing an aqua-haired man into the room handcuffed and bound by fiber wire around his feet, the agents tossing the man to the ground as the ambassador minimized Squall for a moment but allowed her the audio to eavesdrop on the conversation as the middle-aged man made his way to the Russian agent and looked at him in the eye, his countenance changed to a slightly incensed man as he knelt in front of the Sarashiki agent a gleam in his eye.

"Well then, Sarashiki…tell me all of your little secrets."

"Never, you are a traitor to your very own country for daring to even socialize with the likes of terrorists!" The Russian agent retorted, struggling with his binds before the ambassador signaled the men to leave the room his order acknowledged by the black suited men who nodded, making their way to stand outside the office while the ambassador took a seat at his desk opening up the screen where Squall appeared again, an impressed look on her face as she watched the ambassador speak to the agent once more a calm tone voicing out in the small space.

"I know it's stupid to try and interrogate you one on one, you're an agent and a dangerous one but being a member of Phantom Task means you have to be as subtle as possible regarding who you trust…the more patriotic they are, the more dangerous your mission of subterfuge gets. But we both know why you're brought to me, and I want some answers for my superiors regarding a Russian spy breaking the international laws of the United Nations in my country." The Russian agent spat on the carpet, his red eyes blazing with defiance as the ambassador simply gave a shake of his head at the youth's own brash action, the man now shifting to psychological methods as he kept a distance from the bound agent who was fighting his bindings still a stoic face held neither compassion nor emotion.

"If you do try and eliminate me, I can have my files deleted in an instant and my death will worsen your own situation." Seeing the Russian man pause the ambassador continued talking with a veiled smile.

"The thing about politics is that you have to consider what is best for your country, yes? That is why I am confident about my stand point while yours is in the mire right now, if you kill me and I erase my files and all sorts of communication to Phantom Task is severed in an instant it is not just you who will suffer but the entire fate of your country being the scrutiny of the others who will force your country to publicly apologize or even better, demand stripping Russia dry of whatever IS progress it has made over the years…a very precarious position yes?"

"Screw you."

"I am just assisting you in making an important decision that can either end in your silence, or the weakness of Russia exposed to the world when I die and the incriminating evidence from you will doom the Sarashiki family for causing an international incident where Russian agents killed an innocent man and an ambassador. It is simple, isn't it…Sarashiki?" The ambassador smirked as the Russian began to see the chain of events flashing before his eyes, his struggling ceasing as logic began to overtake his mind before the ambassador took it as a sign of defeat.

"Good, I can safely say that you've delayed the ruin of your own country by many years…but of course it all comes with a price, but I will not kill you even though I have the power to do so right now. I will let you live instead, but in return you will come back to the Sarashiki family with a small message from Phantom Task to them." The middle-aged man looked over the agent and snapped his fingers, the two agents coming into the room again with hands on their weapons in case of an emergency before they relaxed seeing the Russian lying on the floor unmoving while the ambassador looked at the two and gave an order.

"Lobotomize the man and seize his equipment, inform me of any data that seems useful." The agent was lifted from his prone position and carried out of the room, the door clicking softly behind them as the ambassador walked back to the desk sitting down with a calm collected expression while Squall chuckled making her presence known to him, the older man taking up his cup of coffee finishing his drink.

"Well that takes care of the Sarashiki, but is it really wise to let him go?"

"He will be lobotomized and taken back to Russia with a small present in store for them, it is befitting I do not kill nor torture people no matter the allegiance, and my station as an ambassador."

"That will get you killed for such weakness, Ambassador." Squall hissed as the older man glared at her with equal disagreement, the stare contest lasting a short time before he disengaged from it having no time to waste with pointless moral arguments as he sat down drumming his fingers as Squall decided to get back to the issue at hand.

"The Sarashiki is taken out, but we've lost the chance to capture Merle and my escort has been defeated. I don't have enough resources to commit to this mission, we'll call it off and allow your representative to be yet another warning…we cannot be compromised again, ambassador so tighten up your firewalls and security as well." Squall advised as the ambassador tapped a few more keys in, bringing up a screen to show some of the information being decoded by the spy agency as he got Squall's attention again.

"Can you help with this information? Some of it is about our involvement and others contain information you want concerning insight to Russia's progress on IS development." Squall nodded, contacting another person on her line as she exchanged a few words and closed the channel turning back to the old man.

"I have Autumn to hack into the firewalls and retrieve those incriminating data, good work ambassador…this is better than I hoped it would turn out to be despite the interference."

"Of course, Squall. Let me know if anything else occurs." The ambassador switched off the connection, typing the passwords in and sending it all to the drop off contact detail before he leaned in his chair as the screen popped up to show an orange-haired woman looking at him with a glare as the ambassador raised his cup of coffee at the Phantom Task operative annoying her as she growled at him.

"You know what to do, get to it."

* * *

><p>IS Academy, Chifuyu and Merle's room<p>

"What is going on here, Chifuyu-nee?" Ichika questioned the two adults sitting beside each other on Merle's bed, avoiding eye contact with the other while staring intently at Ichika who was sitting on one of the kitchen chairs, a serious glare shooting at Merle who decided to speak up for the two of them.

"Ichika I-"

"I wasn't asking you, Merle." Ichika retorted as he looked at the man who just closed his mouth, Chifuyu giving her younger brother a stern look asking him to show some respect as Ichika just gave a big sigh, his mind still warping around the facts while his sister glanced at Merle who looked at her with a hint of embarrassment yet the older Orimura could sense relief from Merle's face before she replied her face immediately coming back to her 'business look'.

"I don't think you really need to tell me what I can and can't do, Ichika."

"No I can't, but this? Chifuyu-nee I do feel happy for you but Merle? We don't even know him after a year, and suddenly he just pops right out and says to you 'hey, I don't want to tell you this but I like you?' just doesn't feel right." Ichika argued back, Chifuyu matching her brother's glare while Merle kept silent knowing that he couldn't interfere in the situation brewing between the siblings, his thoughts going back to the near kiss that could have happened as he gave himself a bit of a lecture on self-control while he tuned out of the conversation though personally Merle could not feel any better than he did about this, it seems that he had been needing such a talk for a while and he did feel a little more unburdened but yet at the same time he had not anticipated the feeling to be reciprocated by Chifuyu either…it does confirm what he suspected but he wasn't ready to commit yet, the words of his faith stirring in his head before a sudden thought that wasn't his own suddenly spoke in his head.

_She's the one, Merle…_

"Merle are you okay, you look a little pale." Chifuyu stared at him with a worried glance while Ichika folded his arms his expression still raw as Merle shook himself out of his thoughts nodding dumbly.

"Uh, yeah I just…it's a lot to take in right now from what I told Chifuyu. I was thinking about what was being said that's all."

"Yeah, I bet you were."

"Is there a problem with me and your sister right now?" Merle questioned sternly as he faced Ichika's sarcasm head on, his eyes determined to find out what was going through the youth's head before Ichika gave a grunt of displeasure as he turned back to his sister for backup.

"Chifuyu-nee you've known Merle for such a short time and I honestly feel you're not thinking straight to even consider these feelings to be true. I want to make sure you're really sure of this…" Ichika replied with concern as Chifuyu folded her arms still in her business-like expression before she turned to Merle who was trailing off again, the expression not going unnoticed as she rose from her seat patting her skirt while she stared down her sibling.

"We can discuss this topic another day, go to class Ichika it's already ten minutes past your lunch hour."

"But Chifuyu-nee-"

"Now, Ichika." Chifuyu bluntly scolded her brother as the younger Orimura stood up from the kitchen chair, an irritated look on his face as he glared at Merle once more before he stood up and made a bee line for the dorm door.

"Also tell Yamada that she's teaching the class for the rest of the day, and also tell her to give you and the girls practice drills with the IS in the arena." Chifuyu reminded as Ichika didn't look back, closing the door behind him leaving the two alone once again as awkward silence seeped right into the room again, both of the teachers unable to look at each other when it became obvious the only distraction in the room was out of the way as Chifuyu looked straight at the wall still standing while Merle kept his seat on the bed, the young man deciding to speak up first.

"So Chifuyu about what you said…"

"Please Merle, I need…give me some time to gather my own thoughts about this whole situation here, I don't know what came over you or me but I don't feel like we're ready yet." Merle nodded, but the sting of her words did show on his face as it relaxed a little in disappointment while Chifuyu glanced back to see his expression and turned back to face the wall again, mentally berating herself for the choice of words as she tried to speak again attempting to clarify the situation.

"U-uh, I-I mean we should take some time off and sort out our feelings."

"Yeah, I need some time myself to sort it out." He replied to her request, a look of understanding as he stood up from the bed and made his way to her reaching out to wrap his hands around her waist before he hugged her from behind, his head burying itself in her shoulder smelling the mix of strawberry and vanilla from her hair as he felt her shiver in his tender grip while her hands covered his own.

"Whatever this is, Chifuyu…we'll sort it all out when we finally get a break."

"You better promise me on that." She lost the edge in her voice as she whispered for Merle to hear, the man nodding in agreement before he released his grip hearing a whine of disappointment much to his amusement as he walked towards the door heading back to the classroom below.

"Yeah, I promise."

* * *

><p>With Ichika<p>

The boy felt his stomach continue to rage its fire as he walked down the steps to his classroom, the time had already gone way beyond his priority of caring taking small steps as his mind struggled to comprehend what he just saw when he walked into the room.

"This is ridiculous, it's only been a year there's no way…"

Ichika was a protective man of his sister, equal to how she viewed him as a precious member of her family left and their parents' abandonment made that value even more important to both of them when they were living alone. What Chifuyu didn't know about her instincts which Ichika could sense was a very protective feeling rivaling his own, whenever he was hurt by bullies he remembered she had gone out of her way to even 'talk' to the men who dared to pick on her little brother and the results were…well let's just say some were hospitalized for the brutal beating and she was suspended for a few days, but she passed her school with excellence despite that loss of anger. In fact Ichika had the same fire, and when it came to things that didn't make sense to him he called it out if possible though the results were sometimes damaging to his health like seeing his sister nearly kissing his own guardian.

"Merle, how the hell did all this come about?"

"I'm asking the same damn thing myself." Merle's voice stopped him in mid-step, the young Orimura turning around to address the assistant teacher who was just behind him standing at the top of the flight of stairs, a worried expression on his face as Ichika relaxed his glare.

"Are you worried for your sister's safety with me?"

"What do you think? Merle, you haven't been sharing things with me or her how do you expect me to smile and nod at this? Look at the facts, like my sister and me you are embroiled in danger but the difference between us and you is that unlike you my sister and I are aware of the consequences in such a decision and we willingly ask for help, but you are different. I've seen you just obsess over that music box and keeping it in the drawer late at night, in fact after the hospital you never shared anything about your mission, your goals, nothing…you just left us hanging in the wind. Now tell me just how responsible is that?" Merle wanted to retort but held his tongue, he knew that he had been in the wrong on this one and arguing now was pointless with the teen about the mistake as he tried to assure the young man.

"I understand your protectiveness for your sister, and as for what I'm doing I will tell it to you two soon. Then you can decide what to do with me and as for what happened back then…Chifuyu and I granted each other some space for our thoughts if it makes you feel better." Merle replied seeing Ichika sigh, putting two fingers to his forehead as he tried to sort out his thoughts before he turned his back on the teacher walking off without a word.

"Ichika, wait-" Merle called but the teen turned the corner and walked off towards his classroom, ignoring his call before the young man let out a hiss at the teen's anger at him before he followed after him pushing aside his feelings for the class ahead…he did not want Yamada to turn into a nervous wreck again without him or Chifuyu around to support him as he turned the corner.

***Slap***

"You, it's you…Ichika Orimura!" A loud slap and an angry voice sounded from his classroom as Merle stopped right in his tracks, his ears perking at the incensed tone as he felt a sense of dread and fear running down his spine before he walked briskly to the doorway of the classroom his thoughts running wild.

"That voice…oh hell no, no, no it can't be her. May it not be her please!" He said as he turned into the doorway slamming the door to the classroom open, stunning Yamada who was just unable to speak her mind and turned to look at Merle with a helpless look as the assistant teacher gave her a glance to calm down before he heard a gasp, his eyes turning to Ichika's seat only to confirm his suspicions about what he was thinking. A silver haired girl turned around to face him with equal shock, an eyepatch covered her left eye dressed in a military styled uniform complete with black military boots while Merle jabbed a finger right at her, his expression was one of surprise as the silver haired girl jabbed her finger back at him.

"It's you!"

"Chifuyu robber!" The silver haired girl shouted back, Merle immediately shutting the classroom door behind him noticing some eyes poking out of the classrooms opposite them as he gave his class the privacy for this upcoming conversation, turning to address the red eyed midget with an angry clench of his jaw.

"Don't call me a Chifuyu robber chibi-washboard!"

"Make me, Chifuyu-stealer!"

"When are you going to grow up?" Merle argued back as the girl let out a gasp before she narrowed her eyes at him, biting her tongue before she yelled back at the man.

"When will you stop taking away my idol?"

"Grrr…"

"Uh, ano Merle-san, Laura-san?" Yamada spoke out timidly as their voices grew louder, her head sinking back into the desk as the two turned their heads at Yamada giving her the evil eye as they jabbed their fingers in unison at the already frightened young woman, the class was still shocked by the display of both the teacher and the newcomer as Houki put a hand to her forehead wondering how this man managed to even teach her anger management while Cecilia narrowed her eyes at the silver-haired girl who just came in and slapped Ichika on the face without reason, her fist clenching as she plotted revenge.

"Stay out of this!" The two yelled sending Yamada under the desk as the two continued to yell and shout at each other with a lightning bolt shooting at each other's eyes, or eye in Laura's case. Ichika in the meantime was just unable to react as he saw the two shouting at each other, nursing his cheek where Laura had slapped him feeling the red sting still vibrating on his whipped skin before a tap on his shoulder made him turn to a worried Charles who had a wet tissue in hand, the teenage boy nodding in thanks as he placed it on his cheek to make sure the slap did not swell or become serious. He didn't understand what happened, first thing he knew was that he entered the classroom and said sorry for being late to Yamada and informing her that she was to teach the class alone yet again, or he would have if Yamada didn't suddenly twitch her eyebrows while her eyes became that of a maniac…next thing he knew was him sitting down and a silver-haired girl suddenly went up to him from the front of the class and slapped him, hard.

"I never thought to see someone like you here." Laura declared as she crossed her arms, Merle just sighing with a stressful look on his face just knowing that Laura Bodewig was here to stay in his class.

"Me neither, but circumstances seem to bring us two together." Laura had to agree wholeheartedly as she drew her hand out at Merle, still looking away from him with an angry but slightly relaxed expression while the teacher stood there unable to tell what she wanted.

"Agreed, truce until I get out of this academy?"

"Yeah." Merle said as they both shook hands, getting a confused reaction from the class who just saw the two shaking hands on it and relaxing their tense postures.

"Now that we got that out of the way, what's your problem with my student?"

"I-It's nothing."

"Mhm, and Rapture and Columbia exist in the ocean and sky respectively." Merle just said sarcastically, Laura refusing to look in his eye her tone becoming hostile again.

"I don't have to explain anything to someone like you, you and he both are the cause for her retirement from the Mondo Grosso and becoming more than just a 'simple pilot'. And for the record, I played the games you sent me and the story was good." Laura spoke with a hint of embarrassment on the last part as Merle gave a chuckle, shaking his head both unaware of Ichika's own upset face at the mention of the kidnapping besides Charles who looked at him with concern remembering the report on that.

"I know right? Booker DeWitt…you sneaky devil you, but that entire conversation aside you need to work on your manners starting by apologizing to Ichika for your sudden lashing out at the boy."

"I won't apologize to someone like him, he's the true reason behind her failure-"

"Enough, Laura you're testing my kindness to the borders. I won't tolerate slander of my own students in my own class, and you should watch yourself or that attitude will bite you in the ass." Merle lost his carefree grin, frowning in disappointment as the girl just let out an angry huff storming to her assigned seat as Merle turned to the students who had gone silent from the outburst, the teacher changing his demeanor quickly as he gestured to the door.

"Arena, now."

End

Author's Notes: Hello guys, this is the explanation corner where I try my best to give you more of my thoughts in my work. I introduced Laura Bodewig which means the whole thing is going to get interesting now with the VT system and what not, now firstly I put the relationship between Merle and Laura as a very love-hate as you've seen above and why did I put that instead of dealing with her as she was…I will put that in another chapter maybe and put spoilers there. Okay, be patient, I know she's antagonistic in the arc's beginning until the end where she has her conversation but with Merle I want it to be a bit antagonistic yet somewhat friendly and as I said next chapter I will plan it out so you can see what did happen during the year in which he was imprisoned in Ichika's home.

I still want to give Merle and Chifuyu some space, because it is as Ichika says is that Merle is a person who does help everyone but himself and keeps things personal and doesn't share…which is a fault I made for him, he allows minimal help. His actions have some consequences and I made Ichika so that he never liked secrets cause who wouldn't hate it if someone refused to let others help them?

Anyways let me know what you guys think, it would help.

VI


	14. Attempted Murder, Merle is a?

IS: Valkyrie

Author's Notes: Warning, this contains a flashback. For people who dislike too many flashbacks at once in one too many chapters in a consistent manner (looking at you Naruto) then I have a surprise for you: this one has some explanation to the previous chapter.

YAY!

Without further ado, why's the rum gone?

…

Damn it remix you did it again.

Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos or do I intend to, goodness me how do you handle the fanservice requests all at once?

* * *

><p><em>During Merle's house arrest, Merle's room<em>

"_So that's about it, the boy is safe and all that…don't worry your big ol-"_

"_Finish that statement and I will fly over to Japan and give you a trashing." Chifuyu warned as she massaged her aching temple, the man smirking deviously at her with a cheeky glint in his eyes._

"_Well now, I don't have to try it seems to get a rise out of you." He teased, ignoring her glare as he put his hands up in surrender at the screen showing a truce. "But I can understand your own concerns about this private matter, so I will drop the teasing for now and give you some space…oh by the way, how are things in Germany so far? Got some good bars with the finest alcohol to enjoy?" Chifuyu now smiled, her irritancy gone in an instant as she remembered the first month after acquainting with the German team she would be working with for the year and it wasn't that long before she broke the awkward ice between her and the team, their mood softened and their wariness soon gave way to a respectful attitude with training and soon they invited her to drink and it didn't take long before the German IS operatives soon saw her as someone who wasn't above their reach, a human who's on the same level as the grunts in terms of teaching and making sure they succeeded._

"_The bars were great, best beer I ever had."_

"_Come on, didn't you try the other kind of good stuff?" Merle asked with a raised eyebrow, after she talked with Merle for a while and shared some of her many difficulties with raising her own brother she realized he was quite the listener, holding his tongue to prevent himself from interrupting or even trying to steer her with decisions that she had already considered…he wasn't that bad a person though his aura still yelled out shifty to her even after a while as she shook her head in reply._

"_No, I didn't and they wouldn't let me drink to get a decent hangover. Besides I don't drink wine but only beer, it's a joy to stuff that sweet tasting beverage down your throat."_

"_I don't know how you do it, Chifuyu…seems like you surprise me more than most." Merle commented with a face of slight awe at her as she looked away embarrassed by his compliment, unable to reply to that before a sound from behind her alerted the woman to the presence of a girl stumbling into the room as the door was flung open, raising an eyebrow from the imprisoned young man as he saw silver hair and a dark metal patch covering her right eye shielding him from seeing her full face before the young woman turned to Chifuyu._

"_Chifuyu-sama we need you to get to the training ground."_

"_Sama? Seriously, Chifuyu just what have you gotten yourself into this time?" Merle took his chance to give a fake sigh and shrug of his shoulders, crossing his arms as he did so while his tone changed into a boorish and hostile one as he glanced at the silver-haired girl who approached Chifuyu who had turned her chair to face the girl who was still standing in her spot her posture was that of a military soldier and her hands behind her back._

"_Shut it, Merle or I will be the one punching you when I get back after I whip these women into trained fighters…and once again Laura it's not 'sama' it's just teacher understand?"_

"_Okay, teacher." The voice sounded disappointed as Merle gave Chifuyu a thumb up from behind as he cheekily teased her._

"_See you until next weekend when you can, honey…I love you." He switched it off while laughing hysterically leaving Chifuyu to clench her fists while having a bright smile on her face much to the girl's own displeasure of what she heard and saw as she committed the strange man's face to her memory, she would ask Chifuyu about him later once they were done training._

* * *

><p>Present Day<p>

"Okay, people hustle over to the arena and we can get this training underway." Merle ordered as the students began to pack, his attention turning back to Ichika as the boy pushed his way past the teacher his glare still there as he moved Merle aside with his hand the older of the two not about to retaliate to his actions watching him leave the classroom with the others. He was soon joined by Houki who had gone to his side, a worried look on her face as she watched Ichika's back turn the corner of the hallway as the class including Yamada who did give a backwards glance of worry for Merle before she followed the girls.

"Houki, you can talk you know…you don't have to ask of me the permission to speak, I am not a superior being."

"What's with you and Ichika?" She voiced her question out loud, the man sighing as he moved to the teacher's desk sitting down at the seat as he eyed her dark eyes with a look that was vulnerable while he scratched his head.

"He caught me and Chifuyu…well, you know." He said with his eyes looking upward at the ceiling when he heard Houki gag on her saliva, the teacher looking down to see Houki's face in utter shock and surprise her hand clasped on her mouth before he re-modeled his statement again to calm her down.

"We kissed, that's as far as I planned to go. She was trying to help me with my own problems, we nearly kissed and next thing we knew was that Ichika went into full-blown 'protector' mode on me while trying to convince his sister it was the right thing to do to not get into a relationship." He said as Houki calmed down visibly, letting out a sigh of relief as she leaned against the desk her eyes falling on the teacher with concern.

"That's good news though, you and Chifuyu together…but what's stopping you?"

"The easiest thing I never gave to them, trust. I need to give them that, and then it will be alright." He replied sadly as he stood up, his hand gesturing to Houki towards the classroom door with a smile at his student. "Well then shall we go to the arena? You won't want to miss the practice battles."

Arena

"You want to have a practice battle, Charles? I'm in the mood for letting off some steam." Ichika called out to his only male buddy in the entire school as Charles turned and nodded, bringing up his hand and summoned his IS suit showing it off for the first time while Ichika did the same lifting Byakushiki to bear it at the French representative brought up the rifle to his shoulder smiling in anticipation.

"Hope you don't disappoint me Ichika, I hear being the first male pilot has a lot of burdens being shouldered."

"Heh, you honestly do not want to see what I have to deal with in my daily life here." Ichika replied before he charged head on at Charles who just moved aside and fired three rapid shots but Ichika managed to fly upwards avoiding the spread and charged again as Charles changed his tactics immediately switching up his rifle to get a sub-machine to fire hitting Byakushiki from the side and causing damage to the shields as Ichika avoided the second burst of fire by flying upwards joined closely by Charles who switched to the rifle and began to fire concentrated shots.

"Man, already taken 100 damage to shields…Charles is good." Ichika muttered as he searched his mind for other options, still making sure he was avoiding the shots as his shields took a graze.

"I can't use the One-off Ability like this, I have to try and lure him somewhere."

"Ichika, are you honestly fighting me seriously?" Charles called out over the shots as Ichika didn't reply, flying to the ground in an evasive tactic and swerved around to face Charles who was about to land on the ground as he charged bringing the katana up while the French Representative realized the action too late, his eyes showed surprise as he tried to pull himself up but in vain as the katana hit his shields sending him flying to the side and into the wall luckily knocking against the arena shields that prevented damage to the structure as Ichika brought his katana up, grudgingly thanking the male teacher for teaching him some tactics while Charles got up switching to dual sub-machine guns and fired through the smoke the sudden action staggering Ichika who took damage yet again, the short distance however made the spread of bullets more effective and soon he felt his shields drain.

"Ho, looks like the Orimura can fight." Ichika felt himself chill considerably as his instincts kicked in, the Orimura immediately dodging as an artillery shell exploded behind him almost knocking him over before Charles rushed to his side, the young teen using the smoke as cover to fly out to him as both boys looked up at the launch ramp on the other side of the arena to eye their attacker who was standing in a jet-black IS with a mounted artillery cannon smiling viciously.

"Laura…Bodewig." Charles spat out the name with hostility while Laura just chuckled darkly.

"That's a Revive Gen 2 right? I never thought the French would be so behind in generation development of there IS suits." Laura shot back meeting the hostile Frenchman with a spiteful gaze before she turned to eye Ichika who was kneeling on the ground trying to catch his breath.

"How pathetic, how you are the brother to Chifuyu-sama is beyond my own understanding and how she could even talk so highly of you, even when you're evidently weak." Laura clenched her jaw as she grinded it slightly, recalling a memory before she wiped it away from her mind bringing the artillery shoulder piece to load another shell aiming directly at them.

"I am going to beat you, and then it will help you pay for past mistakes. That's what you wanted when she lost her place in the Mondo Grosso championship back then, back then…this is the time to pay for that mistake!" Laura yelled as she fired another shell, the projectile headed straight for them as Charles took Ichika and moved out of the way before a laser took out the shell in mid-air, exploding over the sky of the arena to the surprise of the nearby first-years watching the battle take place before a few of them looked up to the sky where a blue IS mobile was floating in the air, rifle drawn.

"Well, looks like I'm not too late. Rin, you're up on taking her down but be careful…Laura isn't like other pilots, I get the feeling of experience behind her." Cecilia warned as Rin nodded appearing out of the smoke and hacked at Laura with her twin scimitars but the silver-haired girl managed to move away from the charge and landed on the arena floor her only exposed eye glinting malice before she moved again as Blue Tears deployed its laser tips to pursue the girl, attempting to trap the slow machine but to no avail making Cecilia narrow her eyes.

"As I thought, definitely experienced." Cecilia moved to the ground, knowing her lasers will not help Rin who was busy trying to get a hit on the black IS as Laura noticed the twin shoulders of Shen Long began to glow brightly, Rin moving back as she fired her air cannons at the German soldier hitting the target head on with dust flying up to create a cloud.

"All right, it hit!" Rin cheered as she eyed Charles already heaving up the downed Ichika to his feet, the boy nodding before two wires shot out towards them Charles immediately pushing Ichika aside as the wires wrapped around his arms pulling the French teen towards Laura who had stomped out of the dust cloud incensed as she formed a laser spear and began to stab at Charles' shield, the boy unable to escape as Rin appeared behind Laura joining her scimitars at the hilt.

"Take this!"

"Not even close." Laura calmly countered as she dodged to the side throwing the Revive at Rin, knocking both pilots aside as Cecilia cursed firing her lasers at the German representative.

"That won't work." Laura held out her hand, a polygon area shield appearing to absorb the lasers Cecilia narrowed her eyes further as her opponent had a haughty look on her face.

"Surprised? AIC, I'm sure you're familiar with that term…now join your comrades!" Laura drew her combat knives and shedding her shoulder piece giving her a little more speed to close in on her opponent, the British representative threw her rifle straight at the German girl using her trump card as the weapon blocked the soldier's vision and fired her rockets sending Laura flying back but not before drawing her wire and hooking it around Cecilia's leg dragging the IS suit down with her as Laura grasped the wire and pulled Cecilia towards her drawing a laser spear and destroyed the last of Cecilia's shields with three well-placed stabs before throwing her alongside Rin and Charles who were getting up and surrounding her, Rin being the first to charge in and fight against Laura who deflected and parried with her combat knives all the while hounded by Charles who would wait until Rin retreated in order to fire her submachine guns in small bursts taking some of Laura's shields. Ichika meanwhile was just struggling to get over the impact of the shell eyeing his shields to see that he was below 50% capability before he would be vulnerable finding it difficult to even move as his eyes were blurry, seeing flashes of color clashing with each other as Ichika brought his katana to his hands lowered at the ground as his head hung downwards.

"I can't move or even see well…"

Meanwhile Laura was besting the two pilots, Charles already gritting her-his teeth in frustration as a combat knife was thrown at him taking out his weapon before Laura used the wire again throwing the Revive towards her and a laser spear blocked Rin's attack before the Chinese girl rushed in unaware of the trap set for her.

"Just fall over and surrender!" Rin yelled as she raised her blades before her eyes caught sight of the Revive being dragged towards Laura, Rin immediately catching on as she stopped in her tracks dissolving her weapon as Laura held Charles in front of her as a human shield using the chance to use her spear to drive it into Rin smashing her shields while throwing Charles at her for the final time defeating both of them.

"Looks like this battle is over, where are you Ichika!" Laura yelled at the spot where Byakushiki last was before a voice thundered above her.

"Right here!" Ichika prepared his laser sword, rushing down at the German girl with all he got before the wires shot out and wrapped his arms Laura beginning to toss him into the group of girls and guy stacked up at the corner of the arena, much to the shock of the male Orimura who found himself going off course and Laura jamming the laser spear into his shields multiple times each time more savage than the last before Ichika's shields ran dry the girl smashing him hard into the ground, Byakushiki starting to twitch as Ichika looked up at Laura who had a sadistic smile on her face the twin laser spears looming over him as Ichika turned to look at his shield level seeing the red flashes in desperation and helplessness.

"Only 1…she's seriously going to-"

"Die, Ichika!" Laura yelled as she let her spears fall upon the poor boy, but instead of hearing a satisfying dying scream from the Orimura her eye widened in shock as a black shadow jumped in front of Ichika and held out a gloved hand, her laser spears dissolving instantly as Laura stared in shock at the same polygon barrier erected in front of her as the light show disappeared allowing her to see.

"What?! You're…!" Laura felt a chill of fear down her spine as she saw the darkened face of Merle glaring hard at her holding back her attack with an AIC, the young teacher dressed in three quarter black pants and a grey shirt while a azure flat cap covered the top half of his face standing defiantly at the IS mobile with an outstretched hand revealing a metallic slick black glove fitting Merle's hand as Ichika's eyes widened further at the display.

"M-Merle…how?" He managed to utter before Merle turned back giving him a reassuring look before he glared back up at Bodewig who had gone still.

"Enough games, Laura Bodewig. I have given you a chance to explain your actions but it seems that you refused to listen to me, all the more even try to kill Ichika Orimura? How low you've gone, Bodewig." Merle chided harshly as Laura flinched a little at his hardened eyes, the AIC still holding out against her before she regained her confidence and yelled back at the assistant teacher.

"Get out of the way, Merle…this man is to be blamed, he is to pay for the mistake he sincerely regrets!" Merle narrowed his eyes as he gritted his teeth, his other hand flexing to punch the girl as he controlled his anger at the situation hearing Ichika slowly go into unconsciousness behind him.

"Not like this, violence makes Chifuyu only go after you to kill you…are you seriously stupid?"

"She won't, she should be thanking me such a weak link is about to be cut off from the face of this earth!" Merle just shook his head, keeping his stern eyes on her as he took a breath and sighed.

"Then there's no choice, I'll beat you down for good. There's no way you're going to get to Ichika without getting through me!" Laura simply glanced at the man, stunned by his choice of words before she began to chuckle soon turning into a mad round of laughter down at Merle who kept his demeanor of calm and control as she eyeballed him.

"Hahahaha…you, a man try and beat me?! Hahhahahha, not a chance without an IS suit could you possibly hope to defeat me!" Merle now had his turn to smile, his free hand clenching as he grinned up at Laura stopping her laughter with his own words.

"Who said I needed an IS?" At that moment, Merle pulled back his glove forming a fist as the shield suddenly disappearing briefly before a purple light shot out at Laura the soldier widened her eyes in shock as she was sent flying backwards into the wall, the barriers once again exposing themselves as Laura groaned as a screen suddenly came to life flashing red with warning, alerting her to eye the number that popped up before her eyes widened again the soldier feeling her confidence shrink significantly as she read it: 50/600.

"W-what is this trickery?! There's no way an AIC could fire back an attack, it's for defensive capabilities!" Laura looked utterly stunned at Merle who gave her a pissed off look, all pretense of his calm disappearing along with his smile as he walked towards her confidently his right gloved hand lifted into the air shocking Laura who was still staggering from the blow as she watched a purple laser spear form in his hand the teacher glaring at her with his dead-like eyes.

"You mean this attack? You know I am rather calm and collected about things like this, but there are some times when you know you pushed your damn luck too far for anyone to forgive you for it…this is one of those times, where you just really took **the worst time to piss me off**." Merle spoke harshly and in a deep angry tone, Laura unable to react or form her weapons in time as Merle ran towards her IS and with an angry war cry brought the purple spear down smashing the remainder of her shields with a single blow shattering Laura's confidence as she watched her shields shatter into polygon shards leaving her vulnerable before a laser spear jabbed towards her head, stopping at her red eye as Laura began to shiver unable to take her eye off the weapon jammed at her face while Merle growled at the beaten soldier.

"You're angry, I get it. You don't like how Ichika sabotaged your idol and made her quit, fine…but let me warn you that down here you may be the representative of Germany or even the President's daughter, but in the end you are nothing in this legalized rogue state and everyone here is equal. Act superior and someone won't be so hesitant to try and strike you down, and when they beat you…you will feel true humiliation."

"The next time you threaten my students, the next time you try to kill one of them in front of me…I **will not tolerate your actions nor hesitate to strike you down and see you disgraced and humiliated in front of the United Nations, post a Youtube video of it and dance merrily while you're stripped of your mobile suit. Are we clear?**" Seeing no resistance from the girl or an answer, he felt his anger skyrocket as he brought the tip closer to her face singing the skin of her cheek.

"**Am I clear?**" Merle repeated slowly as he lowered the laser spear down to her chest, showing his determination to drive it into her heart before Laura nodded fearfully in reply.

"Great, that would be lovely if you behaved. Now, I have to get the others to the infirmary and fast." Mere suddenly switched his personality right back around, shooting a death glare at her momentarily before he tapped his ear calling for Yamada to get the medical teams to the arena leaving Laura beaten and traumatized by his threat before he connected his voice to the speakers.

"Class is dismissed for the entire day today, homework can be pushed until next week so make sure to get some study done before the small class test and also be informed that all duels are suspended until the next tournament. Thank you." He announced as the first-years began to leave the arena, stunned by what they have seen today as Merle just looked back to the wall where he left Bodewig only to see that she had vanished leaving him with the others as he moved towards the unconscious bodies, a look of pain on his face as Houki appeared down the stairs reaching the arena floor and towards Ichika as Merle looked back with a smile.

"Hello Houki, help me move them on their backs so the medical team will not have any more trouble." He said calmly, Houki nodding as she made her way to the bodies of her classmates before Merle tapped her on the shoulder a concerned glance was sent her way.

"Don't. Laura is Ichika's problem now, I was just the buffer keeping him safe until the tournament...give him time and he'll know what to say." He assured the Japanese girl patting her shoulder as he walked off, Houki catching a glimpse of his gloves but said nothing as the medical team appeared from the stairs rushing past Merle who gave them a nod of acknowledgement leaving them to do their work, the assistant teacher giving a long sigh.

"Well damn, Chifuyu is definitely going to flip when she hears about this."

* * *

><p>Evening, Merle's room<p>

"She did what?" Chifuyu clenched her hands as Merle looked up at her with a calm gaze, the woman unable to believe what she had heard but her mind was in overdrive as well with the incident suddenly announced by Merle who sat on his bed watching the young ex-pilot pace along the bed.

"I said it before and I'll say it again, Laura Bodewig just tried to kill your brother in a practice battle. I suspended all practice battles until the next tournament to get Laura off Ichika's back for a while and I have spoken to the doctors about our dear pilots…they're fine though recovering will take at least 2 weeks, Houki is going to check on them now." Merle reported as he laid back, Chifuyu nodded as she sat on the bed staring at the floor deep in thought before Merle spoke up from behind her.

"You're worried aren't you? About Laura I mean." He stated as Chifuyu gave no movement but instead lowered her head as she clasped her hands together tightly, silence permeating the room.

"Laura was a tank-bred soldier, one of a kind who had no family or knowledge of the donors who even gave their genes to make her in the first place. I talked with the higher ups before and they said that she was meant to be the perfect soldier, a trained killer and that would have been an achievement if not for…"

"The IS system." Merle caught on, Chifuyu nodding as she turned to eye the kitchen space continuing her story.

"Tabane introduced a better way of warfare, and it was out of desperation that they re-organized her body to be adaptable to the IS system not wanting to let her become a failure but that soon caused problems for Laura, her replanted eye led to interruptions with her accuracy and lowered her potential. In fact she was eventually put into the IS training squad I had to teach for that whole year, but you already met her and spoke to her on a few occasions…heard you got her a gift." Merle chuckled at that, placing a hand on his burning forehead the heat of the fight wearing off while he eyed the gloves lying beside him.

"Yea, video games for the win."

"Anyway, I taught her to be her own person and to not blindly take orders from anyone. I trained her more than any of the initiates in the squad and they knew it, I was determined to see her earn the respect of her fellow co-workers and she did…it made me proud to see her grow somewhat. But then this happened and now, I wonder what she was thinking even during my training with her and if there was something wrong that I did along the way to influence her greatly to the point of hero worship." Chifuyu closed her eyes letting out a breath before Merle sat up, his hand wrapping around her waist as he slowly pulled her to the side as she now turned to look at the teacher with a questioning look at his action before Merle traced a finger under her chin stunning her.

"Well, Ichika can handle her…wouldn't you say? He knows what it means to have other people helping him and how teamwork trumps standing alone, if anyone can hammer the truth in it would be him." Merle said to Chifuyu as the dark-haired woman smiled at him, grabbing his hand and interlocking her fingers with his.

"Yes, he would." She whispered as the two enjoyed the silence of each other's company, a thought suddenly coming to her head as she looked up at Merle with a question.

"You used it, didn't you?" Merle nodded grimly, Chifuyu looking at him for a moment before she asked him another question on her already plaguing mind fearing the answer. "Does that mean that you are...?"

"No, that wasn't a suit. It was just hacking and the genius of one Tabane Shinonono." Merle replied as Chifuyu sighed in relief at his words, feeling more secure and less worried for the young man before she fell silent in his arms feeling the warmth of his body while Merle leaned on her shoulder eyes closed in enjoyment.

* * *

><p>With Houki<p>

"Ichika…" Houki looked over the wounded young teen worried, seeing the boy along with the other three pilots lying in their beds still unconscious from the fight as she gritted her teeth her fist scrunching up the bedsheet.

"Why, why can't I protect you from her? All I ever do is sit there and watch, unable to help or even have the power to intervene." Houki recalled the fight, she and Merle reached the arena when the fight was just turning ugly and while she was asked to stand back while Merle reasoned that Yamada could not fight because she was keeping the barriers of the arena up, he jumped in when it became clear that Laura was going to kill Ichika herself and what she saw next was just incredible to even fathom.

"Merle…that technology only belonged to Tabane, no doubt about it but just how did you get my sister's attention? Also, why is my sister so interested in you?" Houki asked the air as she stroked Ichika's forehead seeing him relax under her palm, snoring lightly while he slept the Japanese girl closing her eyes in joy at this moment between her and Ichika forgetting all her questions for the time being and concentrated on staying by the boy's side.

"Ichika…no matter what, I will control my anger and impulsiveness. This I promise you, and then I can be by your side for the rest of our lives." She promised as she felt sleepy, her head drooping to the bed before she gave in to her exhaustion lying beside Ichika's body.

End

Author's Notes: Okay, this is quite an intense chapter but honestly I wanted the fight to go longer so I made the four way fight as long as I could with each girl giving all she had but falling to Laura, and this is just why it is epic.

Also I gave Merle an upgrade, so now he won't be so useless in battle but be warned that his fight scenes will be lesser than the others because he is still a human with a small edge against IS suits which means he can still be killed by an IS if he did try to fight it one on one.

As for Tabane, what is her plan? Why and when did she give him these tools? It will be revealed in the next IS Valkyrie.

VI


	15. Bunny and the Bird, A Date, Revelation

IS Valkyrie

Author's Notes: Okay, hey guys Napoleon here…not Bonaparte, he's dead and a midget or so I've heard. And fat. I have just came back from a well-deserved break, so here I am with yet another chapter for the growing story IS Valkyrie.

This is to be the explanation chapter where you will get to see a conversation that happened not too long ago, it will explain more about the box and what it possibly could mean.

"Pull my finger, and watch me do an internet…on cocaine!"

* * *

><p>Outside of the academy, shoreline<p>

"I don't get why I'm here." Merle sighed as he tugged at the collar of his white shirt, pulling his coat closer to his body and buttoning the middle buttons to secure his clothing piece while he pulled up the coat collar as the wind howled and blew at its full blast nearly taking off his clothes if they had been rip offs. The young man dug his hand into his pocket pulling it out to read the folded piece of paper while trying to apply enough pressure to hold it steady in the wind as he read the words.

_Dear Merle,_

_I have something to tell you. It concerns the music box that you allowed both German and Japanese code breakers to attempt and crack to no measure of success, I can tell you a theory but you have to meet me by the shoreline at the academy…please come, it is imperative that you are warned._

_From a friend_

"The music box again…what is it with the world and this damn box?" He said as he clutched his hip feeling the familiar thud of the metal box, the feeling of waiting for this mysterious stranger was unnerving even for him as he looked at his surroundings allowing the discomfort to intensify as another gust blew at his fingers, the man stashing the letter while he looked into the distant sunset on the horizon as another day came to an end…and an anticipated meeting that he was beginning to regret. When he first received the letter in his own room, he hadn't told Chifuyu about its contents but then again although the letter did not specify for him to come alone…

"So who are you expecting here? Having me around isn't going to change things, you know." The female voice spoke from behind him as Merle gave a sigh, shaking his head lightly as he turned around to face his roommate dressed in what he dubbed her 'teacher clothes' as he addressed her shouting on the top of his voice as another huge gust blew against the shore, the waves crashing against the small cliffs that ran along the shoreline.

"I don't know, it mentioned the box so at this moment I can expect anyone!" He yelled, Chifuyu now switching her serious face to that of slight worry her eyes scanning the shoreline as though waiting for something before she walked past Merle and stood in front of him a hand on her hip.

"Give me the letter, maybe I might recognize the handwriting." She stated as Merle agreed, pulling out the letter to hand it to her as Chifuyu took it carefully and opened up the folds eyeing the letter with a bit of surprise highlighting on her eyebrows as they were arched upwards, Chifuyu now nodded in understanding as she folded the letter and pushed it against Merle's chest tugging her jacket as she flipped her long tail end of her hair back behind her before she looked at Merle with a feeling of calm.

"So will this person show?"

"I think knowing her, it shouldn't take any longer now." She shouted back as the gust of wind died down abruptly, Merle turning back to face her with a weird look on his face before he heard the distinct sound of something barreling with full force towards him as rapid footsteps pounding into the dirt got closer, the messy-haired young adult had not time to react as he felt a pair of arms dive in front of his eyes and cupping it before a playful squeal caught his attention. Merle had not enough time as he felt the wind suck out of his lungs before he immediately placed his foot forward preventing a fall while waving his arms out in reflex as he stumbled towards the academy with a fear in his eyes if it were not covered.

"Kuro-chan!" The sickly sweet peculiar voice with a distinct pout to it was all the information the young man needed as he instantly shook his body left and right struggling to get the creature off of his back, he was remarkably surprised that he was still being held onto tightly as the hands forcefully cupped his eyes a bit more to stop his struggling.

"Oh hell naw!" Merle screamed in retaliation as he felt a pair of soft orbs push into the back of his skull, making Merle yell in a panicked voice falling on the grass as he did so while the orbs continued to massage his skull furthering his survival instincts as he flopped around feeling the weight of the person crushing his back and a dark aura coming from where Chifuyu's general direction was as he stretched out a hand in her direction fright on his face.

"Chifuyu, don't let me get raped!"

"Aw Kuro-chan, you weren't happy with my performance? Or maybe you prefer Chi-chan to massage you with those big br-" The voice didn't finish as Chifuyu threw her fist the sound of flesh and bone once again being broken as the voice let out an 'uuu' as the person on top of Merle released her grip tumbling a few meters away while the darkness lifted over Merle's eyeballs, the man gasping for sweet air as he looked up at the orange blackening sky in joy before he turned to see a familiar girl with robotic bunny ears.

"Bunny bitch?"

"Hey, that's mean Kuro-chan!" Tabane Shinonono stood to her feet with a pout, her hands patting the dust off her white oil-stained apron and the sleeves of her dress now yellow instead of blue with the familiar maid frills he was accustomed to seeing in town when he stopped by a maid café once during his house arrest, this time she had none of her tools around in her pockets or anywhere really while her purple hair was different with a trim on the front to shorten the length as well as her long hair formerly reaching down her back to her waistline had also been cut to only stretch till half of her back, clutching her bruised cheek in response to her friend's punch.

"That is mean, Chi-chan…how could you do that to your own childhood friend?" She sobbed dramatically, Chifuyu only responded by cocking back her fist before Merle grabbed her arm lightly his eyes asking her to not pull an unnecessary assault. Chifuyu lowered her arm in response, folding it instead as Tabane continued to caress her cheek carefully before Merle took her face with his hands and looked over the bruise whistling at the red swell.

"Damn, are you hurt? Did you bring the antiseptic?" He asked full of concern while Chifuyu stood aside just stunned by the man's behavior towards Tabane, feeling a pang of anger at seeing Tabane's face in shock but relaxed to a happy smile while she nodded digging her hand into her dress pocket bringing out the bottle before Merle grabbed it and looked over the expiry date. Satisfied that Tabane was still keeping her health as a priority when he saw it was a new bottle, he brought out his handkerchief and stained it in the antiseptic and then proceeded to pat the scientist's swollen cheek his eyes darting to her face as he immediately looked away seeing her smile, Merle feeling his body heat up a little from the sight and much to Chifuyu's own eyebrow twitching while Tabane looked at her with a small playful smirk.

"Chi-chan, you jealous?" Tabane playfully sang before Merle pinched the swollen cheek lightly, making her let out another 'uuu' sound from her mouth as she got the message and kept still her bunny robot ears folding into a curl.

"At least let me help you with your injury, Tabane." Merle sighed, he was certainly not so energetic to deal with this strange turn of events right now but little did he know that his action was getting a rise out of Chifuyu who had lessened her anger due to Merle's intervention but she held her serious frown watching Merle finish putting a soft bandage on the wound before he drew back from the girl, seeing Tabane light up as she felt no pain from the injury before she smiled briefly at Merle before going back to a curious look, her robotic ears straightening up.

"Thank you, Kuro-chan…hey! You called me by my name!"

"But why would you help me though, with that incident back in the hospital I thought you wouldn't want to speak to me again." Tabane asked as Merle scratched the back of his head, recalling the incident very well indeed and it was the only time he felt he ever snapped that badly at someone before, the young man turning away from her for a moment.

" I did think about it, I won't lie…but what you did was years ago, it was already beyond my control and even if you wanted to Tabane…you couldn't fix this problem you've caused with the introduction of this system. I made my peace, anything I say cannot change the past but I can sure as hell stop the damn future from becoming a full scale battleground over obsessions over a bunch of cores, and change your mind about responsibility if I can." He said, stunning the bunny-eared woman for a moment as all her pretenses dropped just like that time in the hospital ward and she scanned his eyes for a brief moment before she did something that was rare, even to Chifuyu herself who was beginning to fume a little as her smile spread to her face and it wasn't even the playful plastic one she wore…a genuine warm smile.

"I had a year…"

"Don't mistake this, I accept what you've done but I won't condone it. Never, I just want you to give this whole concept of IS and try to review and right your wrong but it is ultimately your choice…I don't expect your answer and I never expect you to tell it to me, just do it. Shut every IS suit down, use a kill switch or something I don't know!" Merle argued back as he saw Tabane give a look that held nothing before she crossed her hands behind her back and turned to the orange sea, seeing the glints of the water reflection while her bunny ears moved up and down.

"I can't just stop Kuro-chan…and even if I did, the 467 cores would have been misused all over the world anyway. I hear that even soon the countries with their bans may soon overturn the rules to get what they want: a working IS core made without my cooperation, and someone like Ichika's DNA as a subject for replicating pilots but male ones will tip the balance." She stated with a bit of concern when she came to Ichika's name, Merle nodding in understanding as he stood beside her watching the sunset with Chifuyu turning back and walking towards the academy taking one last glance at the pair before she left them alone, her protection duty done unknowingly clenching her hand in a fist as she returned to her room.

"So what would happen now? I imagine knowing you that you will continue to sow these machines of death all around without a second thought." He said sourly only to have Tabane interject his statement with a shake of her head.

"I had a year, and in a way you were right…but they didn't give me a choice at the time. It was that or let my family get taken away from me, permanently and I denied myself the life of a slave to government."

"You still never answered my question." He said sternly, making his hostility known about the topic.

"And I believe that choice is up to me, but I will take more responsibility for my involvement in this issue. That is the best I can give you an answer at this time." Tabane turned to look at Merle with a look that said 'trust me', the man just giving a neutral look as they both again stared at the sun halfway setting in the distance as Merle noticed the scientist shivering from the cold gust of wind.

"You're getting cold."

"Its fine, some of my hideouts were like this so I just had to adapt to it." Tabane reassured the man but to no avail as he shed his coat and placed it around her body, the scientist didn't even notice the action until she felt something bristle at her hair before she looked down to see the coat wrapped around her, the scientist turning to see Merle carrying the music box in hand holding it tightly.

"You said that you wanted to talk, we can go to the academy's park and sit there." Merle spoke as he grabbed her hand, walking towards the destination while Tabane fought her embarrassment at being led around like this, but a tender look did cross her face. She never had the chance to experience something like love or even a normal life, her ingenuity saw to it that her life soon became one of chains and that of an asset to people superior in class and rank to hers as a common girl with extraordinary talents…she had been alone due to her genius separating her from many of her classmates but yet she made some friends including getting Chifuyu out of her shell and actually hanging out with her was a crowning achievement no one could ever accomplish in years. That moment he grasped her hand took her back to days when she could freely express what she thought, what she felt and the freedom of living a life and contributing to society a little before dying in peace…it all now felt so foreign and unnecessary due to the high risk of being caught by the world government.

"Sit down, come on." Merle said as he patted on the bench, the bunny scientist snapping out of her thoughts as she realized she was in the park already her eyes sparkling a little at the bright lampposts that began to turn on, bringing their light out in the midst of the darkening sky. Looking at the young man who was looking at her with a faint smile, Tabane sat with the coat feeling another breeze tickle her skin.

"You wanted to talk to me about a theory, concerning the music box."

"Yes, I do." She said disappointed before Merle punched her lightly on the shoulder.

"Hey, this isn't strictly all business and no enjoyment here you know…we can spend some time here, if you want to after we talk about the box." Tabane looked surprised at his proposal, turning away to hide a creeping red to her face before she turned back with a glowing smile.

"I would like that."

"Knew you would, so about this box…"

"Oh yes, before that I want to give you something." Tabane interrupted, causing Merle to internally groan at the constant interruptions to his curiosity as she chuckled at his groan reaching into her pocket to bring out a black oak case, placing it on her lap drawing the young man's attention over her shoulder as Tabane resisted blushing at his close proximity as she opened the black case for him to look inside, surprise hidden by curiosity came to his face like how she predicted before she spoke.

"I know you aren't a person who's fond of my work, but in a world of women piloting devastating weapons of mass destruction you need a tool to counter that…and I made this." Tabane said as Merle looked it over, his face holding a small measure of skepticism as he looked at the box unsure of what to believe while he looked to see Tabane gesturing him to try it out as Merle complied, his hand scooping up a slick metallic glove the man looking it over to find a strange gleaming energy was coating the article as he secured it on his hand, a sudden blip sprung the glove to life as he observed the strange tech.

"It is a portable AIC, able to withstand more hits and is able to protect the wielder in a bubble of it. I had it specially made for you, also the other piece of gear was made in mind of you." Tabane spoke as Merle just gave a playful chuckle, flexing the cestus while he turned to the scientist who was smiling at him.

"Careful Tabane, Chifuyu might get jealous again."

"I won't be worried about her jealousy if she finds out what we did in the park, Kuro-chan." She teased back in reply as Merle held a hand over his heart.

"Kuro-chan…now when did I start earning nicknames, Chifuyu doesn't give me nicknames." He said in mock sadness as Tabane stood up still holding the coat close as he moved towards him, her hand grasping his arm as she typed a few commands into the cestus, Merle unsure of what she was planning to do before a light encased his hand nearly blinding him before he recovered and widened his eyes at the sudden change to his arm, the young man unsure what to think of the new piece as he had a slight frown troubling the science prodigy a little.

"Do you not want to use it?"

"Huh? Oh no, I just…it's just that I never used something quite like this before in my life." Merle spoke with a soft voice as Tabane clutched his arm bringing it up to the sky, the teacher stumbling back when he saw a polygon barrier deploy in front of him briefly before it disappeared the science prodigy smiling as she saw her work.

"This AIC is an advanced type, it does store information about the weapon used to attack you and can absorb and reuse the attack in your favor. In fact the AIC is an uncommon but effective installment to IS nowadays, but only focused for defense…you have to use it wisely as it does have a limit to which it can defend against devastating attacks."

"I think I'll be fine, such weapons are not exactly helpful against an IS." He insisted before Tabane moved closer to him, her face inches away from his face before she whispered into his ear softly.

"I know it isn't but it is an edge against any sudden circumstances, I did put my love and hard work into it with you in mind."

"U-uh, r-right…" Merle just nodded, Tabane giving a smile as she sat on the bench followed by Merle who made the arm dissipate before sitting down next to the scientist looking at his cestus hand in curiosity.

"I thought the IS was incompatible for men." He questioned before Tabane shook her head, removing her headband and placing it on her lap as she replied her hands clenched tightly staring at her lap and the headband settled on her dress.

"It is in a way, I just never thought it would come across as a problem so I left it intentionally like that but Ichika…he was an unexpected circumstance that broke the barrier."

"Is that so?" She turned to glare at him with an insistent tone sensing his doubts.

"I may have been irresponsible with my handling of the IS but I am not stupid in regards to letting men or just any woman able to pilot this technology. The IS was just preferable to women and I chose not to touch it, and for good reason…the pair of gloves you carry was a recent prototype made from IS technology I made on a whim of mine, and normally it would not work with anyone else unless the person was IS capable." Merle had a bit of shock as he turned to face Tabane, his eyes wide with distress.

"You don't mean to say that…"

"I didn't mean you are truly IS compatible because the gloves are not a suit, it just responded to you well from seeing you wield the tech." Tabane muttered as they both looked up at the moonlit night, enjoying the view upwards as Merle turned to the scientist with more questions on his mind.

"I am still uncertain what this means for me, having such a tool in my arsenal…but I guess, thanks. But why did you do all this for someone like me?" Tabane didn't reply at that, her eyes looking away from him as she picked up her headband and stuffed it in her pocket turning to look at the man right in his eyes while Merle noticed her eyes losing its cheerful light.

"Because you are like me in more ways than one, back when you told me off about my technology I saw something in you…like a burning fire that screamed out against my choices, defying it as you hammered logic and experience of losing your home. I guess something right then and there snapped inside me…haha, I couldn't even touch my wrench or concentrate on my IS work since that conversation. I felt doubts, and the facts kept blaring in front of me like some signal for me to do something. But even then, I knew that I am no longer that important as I once was…look at me I was the person who introduced a system of warfare and gave up my family to the government who wanted my genius to be used as weaponry, now I just a fugitive equivalent to that of an international criminal." Tabane spoke with a dry laugh at herself, Merle feeling worried for the woman as he tapped her shoulder.

"Don't worry about it, but honestly I feel that you should take the time to try and retake your cores or even implant a shutdown switch." Merle advised as Tabane shook her head, but her fingers did point towards Merle's own music box as she had an unreadable expression before she began to speak.

"That music box…I can only tell you one thing about it, and that was back when you met the Orimura siblings for the first time in that warehouse." Now the man had full attention as he turned towards the science prodigy who had a serious frown as she said the next few words that shook him to the core.

"That energy that dispersed which attracted the Germans' attention and Chifuyu's to you, the readings found on it was the equivalent energy signals to that of an IS core."

"What?" Merle uttered out the words as Tabane lowered her head in an apologetic gesture.

"I'm sorry, back at the hospital I should have told you but when you began to speak out well...I forgot it. It was only until after that I could remember it again." Tabane said as she sank in her seat while Merle rubbed his forehead with an open palm.

"Well at least you actually said something now, I cannot imagine if you hadn't." He said as they both fell silent, the peace of the quiet park gave Merle some time to think things through as thoughts rushed through his head. He really hoped that he would have an answer but all he got was more questions on his part, and the fact that it could be an IS core made it even worse...he felt like he was carrying a ticking time bomb with him all this time, the nightmare suddenly striking him again as he pushed it all aside.

"So, is that the information I was looking for?" Tabane nodded in reply, her face still having an apologetic look as Merle leaned his head over the bench with a groan.

"Great, so I'm stuck again." He said as Tabane put a finger on her lips as if in thought before she looked at Merle with a small frown.

"Well, at least you know something about it."

"I just hope Chifuyu is taking everything well, she looked pissed off seeing you again." Merle recalled the punch she gave earlier as Tabane rubbed her injured cheek the pain numbing while she replied assuring the young man.

"She'll be fine, she's a very good stress handler."

* * *

><p>With Chifuyu<p>

Chifuyu drank another can of beer, throwing the empty container up against the wall as she sat on her bed watching the metal can clunk into the waste basket waiting for Merle to arrive while her hands gripped her sheets. She couldn't believe her childhood friend, she hogging and touching her assistant teacher and trying her patience with her jokes though at least Merle was resisting her efforts to-

"Argh, why is this even plaguing my mind in the first place!" She crumpled a beer can and threw it into the waste basket, her feeling mixed and yet confused by Merle as she brought a palm to her forehead. Just what did she feel about him, what was so special about this young man that brought her back around to find him when things get rough and just who gifted him with such a calming aura of warmth and happiness, making her feel like she was loved…was this what a family felt like?

"No, it isn't what I'm thinking but…no, I think maybe I might be feeling…"

_Love? _

"No, it can't be I mean Merle is a great man. But love? Is that really what I feel, or is it just my desires?" Chifuyu wondered as she laid back on her bed, ruffling her hair in confusion as she looked up at the clock reading the time with some disdain as she gritted her teeth somewhat, jealousy in her expression.

"He better not waste any time fooling around with that bunny." She said softly, her tone promising a lot of pain if he did.

Back with Merle

"Achoo!"

"Are you alright, Merle?" Tabane asked as the man felt a shiver of promising pain and being in the hospital before he shook his head.

"Nope, nothing is fine…I think Chifuyu is mad at me, definitely angry." He said with a measure of fear before the science prodigy giggled at his expense as he turned to look at Tabane with a sad face of mock hurt.

"That isn't a good thing, you know…"

"But that proves that I'm right, she does care about you very much. In fact, I think she loves you." Tabane said with absolute confidence as Merle looked at her with a weird look like she had just said the sky was green, the teacher clearing his throat as the sentence went through his mind giving way to images and ideas popping in his imaginative mind.

"Uh, right…her? I get the feeling but I don't know if she does feel the same way." He said as he looked up at the night sky, Tabane reassuring him with a slap to his back making him blanch slightly while she laughed at his reaction to it before she stared up at the sky the breeze blowing her hair to the right as the coat kept her warm.

"She loves you, it's just that she doesn't realize what kind of love it is so give her time, her parents leaving her and Ichika was a major setback for her ability to open her heart but you went further than anyone did to get her to not just lighten up around you, I sensed a change in her." Tabane said as the two enjoyed the breeze seeing the wind sweep up the leaves in a swirl while Merle looked at her, finding her face full of peace as he nudged her with his elbow.

"So pretty much you think it could be a core?"

"Not unless you crack that code and find out for yourself, I can't help you further than that." Tabane said as she got up from her seat stunning the man as he got up to walk beside her, both adults moving down the park.

"You're leaving already? Why not just stay here where we can keep you safe?" He suggested as Tabane giggled at his desire to help her before she shook her head in polite refusal.

"That's kind of you to offer but I can't stay here, the governments would get their representatives to 'acquire' me if they heard of my staying here. No, I'm sorry but I have to be on the move and at this rate…maybe seeing my family might just become a distant dream." Tabane said before Merle suddenly gripped her shoulders and turned her around, hugging the young woman as Tabane looked stunned by his action her hands hesitantly wrapping themselves around his back before she placed her head in his hand stroking her hair.

"Don't worry, if this core turns out to be the kill-switch I will use it and maybe…well, it will be a lot of planning but perhaps you could see your family again."

"Don't make that promise, it is a hope that's fleeting from my grasp the moment I made the system and to have such a false hope…it's discomforting. Instead make one I ask of you." She said as she neared the teacher, going to the side of his face as Merle shivered feeling unnerved by the close contact before Tabane made her move kissing his cheek stunning the man who felt a feeling of doom fall upon him as he twitched his eyebrow, the science prodigy giggling like a schoolgirl.

"Well, I never got the chance to do this in my life so what I ask of you is to promise me you'll take me out somewhere…consider it a date." She said as she stepped back from Merle who stood still like a statue as he began to speak his mind about the proposition.

"Hey wait I didn't even say anything about-"

"Take it as giving me some semblance of a life I never had, entertain me on that at least." She said with a pleading tone as Merle looked at her sternly.

"I can't make it a date, I'm sorry…" He said, seeing her face fall with the rejection before he finished his sentence. "However, I am willing to make some time to get to know you. I see your honesty, you are really not able to sleep well over that issue we left back at the hospital and so I am giving this a shot to know you." Seeing the girl hear his words and slowly brightened up, Merle felt himself smile a little as Tabane nodded firmly.

"Okay, well I will see you again." She said as she turned to walk away before Merle called out after her, stopping her in her tracks.

"Lose the dress and bunny ears when we go out, I don't want you to be made fun of and…well, you can find something better to wear than that." Merle advised as he used his hands to gesture at her attire, the science prodigy looking down at her dress before she nodded.

"I'll think about it."

"Great, see you when you meet me next time." Merle said as Tabane waved meekly at the man, walking away leaving the man to turn back and walk to the academy taking the two boxes on the bench as he did so, feeling some small amount of irritancy when he explained everything that happened to him and the so-called 'date' to Chifuyu, no doubt something wrong was going to happen.

"Well, time to explain all the heavy stuff…but all that aside," His eyes falling back to the music box in his hand while observing the gloves in the other box he had taken as a gift, the information weighing heavily on his mind.

"This music box…why was I even given it in the first place?"

End

Author's Notes: Well hopefully this explains many things about what you guys are hoping to see in answers, and yes the box contains energy similar to that of an IS core…what could that mean?

Thing about Tabane was that while I felt she was irresponsible in the books and animation, having a person who lost home and is forced to move around hunted by all governments sounds like international fugitive so I gave her a bit of backstory to a theory why she might have been forced into the life…give her a reason why she is alone, but Merle is forgiving though as I tried to write it out he still does not like her actions which caused so much grief and greed. Would she change in her personality to future events, or would she disappoint Merle once more and lose a final chance for the path of redemption?

Find it all out in the next IS Valkyrie chapters. (Depending on the amount and if I can find a suitable arc)

VI


	16. Charles is a what? A new promise

IS Valkyrie

Author's Notes: Hello guys this is the VI here with a chapter for you and I am happy to say that I could release at least one or two more chapters before my study year begins…I hope, so yes I am pumped up for this arc and I would do my best to make this one of the best.

Okay I guess that covers what I want to say and hopefully you guys are having an incredible day or night depending on where you come from, so without further delay here is IS Valkyrie!

Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos, and it belongs to the rightful writer who made it and why do I not own this series? Because reasons, that's why!

"Uh, so…Obito turned good in the latest chapter of Naruto."

"Um dude, that's what happens to almost every antagonist that meets Naruto manga wise."

"Damn, seriously?"

"Just read the damn manga."

* * *

><p>With Ichika, a few days later<p>

"Laura Bodewig, she's a tough opponent. I never saw anyone who fights so brutally before, she took Rin and Cecilia and Charles down like they were toys." Ichika rubbed the back of his head as he entered his room, his mind taxed and utterly tired out from the lessons of the day the boy throwing his books onto the desk as he took off his shirt to let some air into his black undershirt, sitting down in his chair with his eyes looking at the ceiling the events a few days in the arena playing like a record in his head.

"Laura…that look she wore wasn't that of dislike or a desire to defeat, she was willing to kill me." He muttered before the image of Merle jumping in front of him holding out his palm to absorb the attack and shooting it back at the soldier made his head throb as he tried to find an explanation. Ever since the incident days ago he had tried to talk to Merle about the event but the man would simply wave off his questions and deflect the students who tried to approach him about the topic. The teachers were even stunned, nowhere had such a technology that allowed a man to fight toe to toe with an IS suit existed and the headmaster was forced to actually make the representatives of each country swear silence about such an weapon, citing that to reveal it would destabilize the already tense relations between each nation and no talk of it should surface.

"Merle, what the hell was that you had on your hand? And why is it that you are carrying such a dangerous tool?"

"Argh, this is trying my brain just trying to find out what that unpredictable man is thinking!" Ichika said out loud before he kept silent, his ears suddenly perking up at the sound of spraying water coming from the bathroom making the teen sit up straight and hear it correctly sighing after a few seconds and relaxing in the chair again.

"I guess Charles is in there, didn't even notice he was showering-" Ichika trailed off before a reminder came to his mind, the boy suddenly slapping his forehead with force causing a sting as he keeled over still in his chair holding his forehead as he spoke massaging his slap.

"Ow, what was I thinking? I forgot to tell Charles that I already bought the bathing foam for us, I have to tell him about it." The teenage boy clutched his forehead with a palm his vision slightly swimming as he went to his end table and took out the drawer, his fingers tracing the inside of the messy drawer pushing aside various pieces of technology and some important papers and receipts, the boy took some rummaging before he clutched his desired item in his hand and closed the drawer moving to the bathroom.

"_Hm, now that I think about Charles…he seems very strange." _Ichika thought as he paused at the bathroom door, thinking back on the past days that he spent with Charles. When he first came over to the academy, he was moved immediately to Ichika's room in which he still shared with Houki the latter who was then asked to move out and despite her protests of hanging around him Yamada-sensei was adamant about it, citing a small lecture about cross-gender living to the Japanese girl who then sighed and gave in…something that Ichika never thought he would see. In fact, speaking of Houki, she had started to change herself in more ways than one around him, the first being that she never actually physically assaulted him anymore instead she would be the one to sigh and rub her head rather than expend her energy hitting him for no apparent reason, though the insults never truly went away since he would say something nice and she would sometimes glare at him and walk away later coming back to tell him what she thought he was saying. Needless to say, he was shocked and thought the world was ending.

But even with Houki not throwing insults at him as often as they did in the first half of the year, things with Charles had gotten only stranger. At first was the fact that Charles would be embarrassed when they went to the arena for the first time for practice, he had never seen a boy who was so flustered when changing out of his uniform into the battle suit in a changing room allocated at a certain timing for the only two boys to keep the girls out. When he first introduced the changing room and began to change, Charles just froze before he stuttered asking what he was doing and Ichika felt weird seeing him fidget and shake slightly but Charles soon began to wear his battle suit under the uniform and laughed off the heat whenever he would ask Charles that it wasn't necessary to do so.

"Maybe he was just shy, he's from a high standing family and maybe had home tuition or something." He said as the clueless boy slid open the door and announce himself as he decided to wait in the changing area where the sink was hearing the sound of water still pouring, the boy shaking the bathing foam in hand as he walked inside feeling the steam cling to his exposed arms.

"Hey Charles I brought the bathing foam-" A sudden squeak of the shower stopping with a bang of the bathroom door made Ichika jump before a figure rushed out in front of him, eyes wide with surprise and fear.

"I-I-Ichika?!"

"Wha-?!" Ichika couldn't find the words to speak as he saw a girl coming out of the bathroom and standing in front of him as the door to the bathroom slid shut behind her, the girl had shoulder length hair untied while her purple eyes were wide as dinner plates staring right at the clueless boy while her hand defensively covering her ample chest, another hand going between her soft long thighs as the silence began to permeate the room all noise dying instantly at that moment Ichika's eyes widening himself as he tried to process what he was seeing as he dropped the bathing foam bottle on the changing area floor, the bottle rolling in front of the attractive girl as her lips began to quiver.

"Oh no, please don't-" Ichika's plea was ignored by the girl before she opened her mouth.

"KYYYAAAAHHHH!" The girl cried as she grabbed the towel that was hanging on the rack and quickly wrapped the fabric around her body, Ichika at that moment could only run outside in utter panic trying his best to contain the hormones that had injected themselves into his body a hand going immediately to his inner thighs as he felt the familiar burning sensation and a tightening of his bulge.

"Crap, DAMN YOU HORMONES!" Ichika yelled loudly to the ceiling, unable to believe that for the second time in his life…he had to bear witness yet again to a wet yet attractive girl coming out of the bathroom, screaming at his luck that once again ignored him on his pleas for a non-erotic experience in the academy and somehow while he was screaming the boy felt a desire to punch Merle for no apparent reason but his mind was fighting his primal urges to care at this point, the boy falling on his knees in a dramatic fashion thudding his fists on the floor.

"Why do I deserve this?!"

* * *

><p>With Merle in his room<p>

"That scream…is that Ichika?" Chifuyu's ears perked up at the noise as she placed the controller to the PS4 down beside her on the bed as she looked at the floor below her, Merle shrugged as he took a sip of his beer can and placed it on the end table that he drew up to the foot of the bed and moved his character up to defend Chifuyu's from Artorias' long blade, ducking around and getting the former holy warrior in the back dealing significant damage as Gwyn's former general turned and began to crouch his sword sheathed back as he focused on Merle who just smirked and rolled out of the way of the blade that hit the ground, Merle shaking his head before he dodged another blow eyeing the woman for a moment who was at still looking at the ground.

"Don't worry, if my suspicions are right that means Ichika has found out about his roommate's dirty little secret." He said as Chifuyu looked up at Merle, a look of wonder on her face as she picked up the controller and assisted the man being assaulted by Artorias who jumped in the air and plunged his sword onto the ground sending both of their characters tumbling as they healed up with the Estus flask.

"You knew about Charlotte? How did you even figure it out?"

"Simple, patting her on the back at the chest area revealed faint bindings through the semi-transparent fabric and the rough feature of the bindings gave me a feeling. Also was the fact that she was panicking when I did the hand over shoulder, she was covering her chest protectively…yeah when that happens, let's just say that the indicator 'totally a chick' appears." He said as he made the distraction while Chifuyu moved behind and with a final blow ended Gwyn's general, the knight fading into darkness as he gave a last painful cry leaving them victorious.

"Down goes the boss."

"He sounds so sad and in pain, was his story as tragic as what he is?" Chifuyu watched as she picked up the sword and armor from the fallen warrior, Merle having a sad expression on his face as he sat straight again placing the controller on the bed.

"He was corrupted by the darkness to save his own friend and rescue a woman, throwing himself into the full menace of the Abyss. In fact many of the bosses here have stories they can't share and sometimes when you beat them, you don't even feel like you even won at all." He said as Chifuyu kept silent briefly before the two continued on, but not before Chifuyu gave Ciaran the soul of the fallen warrior to the grieving woman receiving a weapon in return as the two characters left the ruin, continuing their journey.

* * *

><p>Back to Ichika<p>

He wasn't so sure how he felt, the boy looking at Charles with a silent glance while the blonde looked downwards at the bed unable to even meet his eyes as he felt the awkwardness beginning to seep in, Ichika staring at the teapot and lifted the cover seeing the leaves almost dissolving completely as he sighed closing the cover on the teapot and began to pour the drinks, handing a cup to the teenage girl.

"Charles-"

"Eek!" The girl jumped suddenly, her hand protectively putting her hand in front of her chest tapping the cup with such force the nearly filled cup spilled the hot scalding water on the boy, making him drop the cup in response to the sudden action taken before he rushed to the kitchen, Charles recovering from her shock as she ran after him grabbing his injured hand.

"Let me take a look!" She said impulsively as she grabbed the hand and took a look, the scene would have been normal-looking as a concerned friend looked over his red hand had Charles been standing at a distance. Instead in her haste to check on Ichika's scalded hand, she had not gone to his side but instead stood behind him as she did so and without realizing was pushing her breasts against the poor body who was trying his best not to even blush or even comment as he felt the words die in his throat, the girl too busy looking over the red skin before she sighed in small relief.

"Oh thank goodness, the scalding isn't serious but I'll get some ice from the tray in the freezer."

"U-Uh, yeah but C-Charles…could you please stop standing behind me? Your breasts…" Ichika stuttered out as Charles looked at him with a 'huh?' expression before she looked down to see that she was pressing to hard into his back, the girl retreated instantly with a 'eep' as she defensively brought her hand to cover her chest blushing madly.

"Ichika no ecchi."

"Now what did I even do to you?" Ichika muttered while rubbing his own forehead with his palm, going to the freezer and grabbing the ice bag and placed it on his scalded hand himself walking back to the desk alongside Charles who was still deep in thought about what to say. In fact what could she even say, to make this less awkward for the both of them and clarify why she was going undercover as a boy? The feeling of already lying to Ichika, and much less her own teachers and class made her feel rotten inside…she felt her heart twist as she sat back down Ichika giving her yet another cup to drink as she thankfully accepted taking a sip to calm her nerves as he sat down opposite her taking a deep breath.

"So why did you do it? Cross dress as a guy I mean." Ah, that was the question that was obvious on his mind as Charlotte felt her throat tighten before she opened her mouth and gave her answer.

"Someone told me to, my…father…" She closed her eyes, recalling the tall aged man with white hair and cold blue eyes staring right through her when she met him for the first time in what seemed to be forever, dressed in a business suit and a stern facial expression as the doctors in lab coats then took her into a room watching from behind the two way mirror.

"Huh? Your father is the head of the Dunois Company isn't he?" Charles nodded in reply at ichika's question her mood becoming increasingly sorrowful as yet another image came to her mind, a thin weak woman with snow white skin and blonde hair wearing a sunhat to protect herself as she coughed with purple eyes shining like gems…

"Y-Yes…after my mother died did he sent his scientists to check on me and found I was a girl with high IS piloting capabilities so they took me into the Dunois Company and made me their pilot, and soon I was asked to come into the academy posing as a student representing France. Aside from my father and the scientists in the company, no one even knew I was a girl and they were surprised that I was another male pilot who was being sent to the academy to study." Charlotte felt her heart tighten again, the memories of France surfacing as she looked up to see Ichika still having questions on his mind.

"Your father…told you to come here? But why would he even want you to-"

"Because I am an illegitimate child, Ichika…I wasn't supposed to exist in the first place." Charlotte said sharply, making Ichika take a mental step back before she calmed down taking yet another sip of the tea to cool her grating nerves as she continued her story.

"My father…if I can still call him that, only came to me twice and talked to me twice during those visits but yet after that I couldn't see him at all. He would send me to a separate house which they owned and from there I would be chauffeured to the main house where he lived, but mostly he wasn't even there and all I had to deal with was his wife. She didn't like me because of my eyes and the fact she was the child of a woman that stole her husband, in a way she was right about it and my mother…I think she knew that she was going out with a married man." Charlotte said as she wiped a small tear from her eye, looking downwards at the ground as she got to the important part and once again she felt a pain in her heart.

"The reason why I was even called to this academy as a guy, was to get close to the world's first male pilot and when you gained his trust…take his biometric data and go back once the task was complete. The publicity that came with the title of being a guy was just the boost they needed to get me in, and also an advantage as you would be glad to find a fellow boy in the same situation as you and get along well with." Charlotte stated with a dry laugh, her emotions already cast away at this point as she stared up at Ichika who had nothing to say or even express anything but sadness as he gave her a sympathetic look, making Charlotte feel even worse with the truth being spoken out loud.

"I…I'm sorry, I didn't want to lie to you but the company is currently in a crisis and my father figured this was the only way to do it."

"What do you mean only way to do it? What is the crisis that is affecting your father's company?" Charlotte just glanced back at Ichika as she spoke softly, clenching her hands into fists on her lap.

"France didn't have enough money, they were omitted from the 'Ignition Plan' set up by the European Union governments which of course not only meant that they were forced to start up 3rd generation frames for their IS units along with the rest of the Union but also that meant that while the other countries had the capital to meet those demands, France was left behind…we needed a frame, something to work with as the foundation for our country's frame and who better than the frame of the only male pilot in existence armed with a legendary 3.5 generation IS mobile?" Charlotte concluded as she looked at Ichika who now frowned at that explanation, his hands clenched into fists as he listened intently to her story Charlotte could tell that he was visibly upset but with what?

"So that's my story, and why I am here…a girl ordered by a father she didn't even know to steal data from a stranger for a company she never cared for, and now that I'm found out my father will call me back and I face the consequences from the government, maybe if I'm lucky I'll be just in jail for a while. It's all a joke of a story, isn't it Ichika? In the end I am just going to pay for my father's mistakes like it's always been." Charlotte spoke bitterly as she let out a humorless laugh, saddening Ichika as he spoke his mind his head hanging not letting her see his expression.

"That is a joke."

"Eh?"

"Your father is using you for his own ends…a girl he never even bothered to take responsibility for, is asked to do the dirty work. Isn't that a joke of a parent? This isn't fine to me, you know!" He said as he grabbed her shoulders facing her with a pained expression, mixed with anger in his eyes shocking the girl who couldn't recoil from his grip as she found herself being sucked into his dark eyes.

"I-Ichika?"

"This isn't right, is your father so heartless that he would just send you here for a mission and even isolate you from himself on his orders while his wife can belittle you?! They also are ready to let you rot in prison for this, a lie they constructed and can deny responsibility for? THIS ISN'T RIGHT, WHO GAVE THEM THE RIGHT TO CONTROL YOU AND TELL YOU WHERE TO GO AND WHAT TO DO!" Ichika shouted with a burning conviction in his words, stunning the girl as he went back to the desk and pulled out the student handbook flipping the pages of the thick book as Charlotte stared at him unable to take her eyes off this boy who suddenly flew into a rage before he let out a 'aha' and turned back to her.

"Clause 21 of the directive: students who are studying in this Academy will not be affiliated to any country, organisation or syndicate. Without the student's agreement, external organisations are not allowed to manage them." He quoted directly as he turned to look at Charlotte who didn't really understand before he clarified for her.

"This means the country cannot even touch you, for three years! We can ask my sister and we'll find a way to beat this problem together, I won't let you pay for the crimes of someone else!" Ichika promised as he closed the book, declaring it to the girl who just looked on in awe. Who was this boy, who could even declare a promise so strong it tugged at her heartstrings and make her heart flutter by his words…Charlotte despite all the facts staring right in front of her, she suddenly felt like she had hope with Ichika's own promise and all her doubts and fears melted immediately in his presence.

"_Who are you, Ichika Orimura?"_

"Why, why would you do this for me? I don't even know you!" Charlotte asked, her mind racing to find what drives this boy and his motivations for having such a fire that she never saw in anyone as Ichika looked at her with a bit of sadness.

"My parents abandoned me and Chifuyu when we were little, and I never had any family…until Merle-san came over to me and Chifuyu out of nowhere, he helped rescue me and my sister as well as giving me a new family with his kindness." He said as Charlotte widened her eyes slightly, unable to believe that Merle knew the legendary pilot so well.

"I am sorry to hear that."

"Don't, I already moved on with Merle-san and Chifuyu-nee, and although I never say the same for Merle-san I know that he knows I love him too and consider him the big brother I never had." Ichika said as a new thought came to mind regarding the earlier argument from days ago, until now he had some time to think it over and maybe…maybe Merle might be the one for Chifuyu?

"Speaking of which, I think I have to apologize to Merle-san for my attitude hahaha-" Ichika said before a knock at the door alerted them to the main door as Cecilia's voice sounded through the wooden entrance.

"Um, Ichika are you awake I need to talk to you!"

"Oh great, Charles get into bed I'll tell her you're sleeping!" Ichika hissed as Charlotte nodded going to her bed and throwing the covers over herself, Ichika moving towards the door and opened it for Cecilia.

"Oh, good you're here Ichika! How are the injuries, nothing serious I hope?" Cecilia asked politely as Ichika nodded in reply, stretching his arm a little bit to rid himself of the tension in his limbs while he did so.

"Yes, I feel much better now thank you but I'm more worried about you and Rin. You were taking most of the hits from Laura if I recall correctly." He said as Cecilia blushed, happy that he thought about her as she nodded in reply her fingers tracing the bandage that covered her cheek flinching at the bruise.

"Well yes but I think Rin is still recovering in her room, I checked on her but I couldn't see her." Cecilia said as she clenched her fists, recalling the humiliating fight that happened a few days back as she promised inwardly to really trash the German brat if she got the chance to do so…the fight showed that she was lacking in some teamwork skills and she would have to improve, but for now she had to rest and recuperate for the division tournament coming up in June which wasn't far.

"Well, Charles is sick right now so he can't even move but I was going to have dinner now and probably save some for Charles." He said as Charlotte let out a cough, convincing the British woman as she nodded stretching her hand out at Ichika who just looked at it strangely.

"Aren't you going to take my hand and come with me to the cafeteria Ichika? It's rude to leave a girl hanging like this you know…and to top it all off I am a hungry woman." Cecilia said with a warning tone as Ichika began to sweat from her implication.

"Ah of course, let's go!" Ichika said as he did as he was told, taking his hand in hers as he innocently took her to the cafeteria unaware of the smirk that Cecilia held while they went down the hallway before a voice stopped the two of them in their tracks, Ichika stopping to look ahead and see Houki walking out of her dorm staring at him with shock while seeing Cecilia holding his hand the picture burning into Ichika's skull as he immediately panicked.

"W-w-what are you do-do-doing, I-Ichika?!" Houki jabbed her finger at the two as Ichika immediately held his hands out in defense closing his eyes while he protested against the Japanese hothead, Cecilia in the meantime shot a cocky look at Houki who just clenched her jaw as she walked up to Ichika and shoved him by the shoulder making him stumble backwards, the girl crossing her arms while tapping her foot impatiently.

"I…uh, Cecilia wanted to…uh, social etiquette of the British…uh." He spoke in bits and pieces, his fear overtaking his already ruffled mind as Houki felt a pang of hurt at seeing him like this before she released her anger and mentally counted to 10.

"Ichika. Look at me, I won't hurt you…I just wanted to ask what you were doing that's all." Her words suddenly made Ichika stop, his eyes opening in utter confusion as he noticed no shinai or even a weapon in hand while Cecilia folded her arms at the girl with a haughty expression.

"Well if you have to know, he and I are _having dinner together._" She emphasized as Houki glared at her competition before she smirked and countered back with a few words of her own, Houki slipping her fingers with one of Ichika's hands intertwining it as she gripped him softly making Ichika flinch at her cold touch all the while looking at Cecilia who was about to fume at her actions.

"Well I guess that means that we both can join him, I was going to get dinner myself." She said as Houki chalked up a victory for herself and began to lead Ichika with a soft tug, making the boy's head turn as he was left in wonder at what happened to the normally violent girl that he knew from the beginning while Cecilia hooked her hand around his shoulder not to be outdone by the Japanese girl and joined them on the way to the cafeteria.

* * *

><p>Germany<p>

"Well ambassador, it seems the division tournaments are coming up soon. Are you attending?"

"Squall you know as well as I do that the division tournaments are somewhat of importance, it is like the Chunin examinations in Naruto…it's simply and honestly a show of strength from each country of what their capabilities are and what they can do, with it they can determine how much progress is being made from each country and its significance." The ambassador spoke as he lifted the black case that laid out on the desk, observing the content with interest while Squall filled the laptop screen and swirled her wine once again looking at the man studying the contents of the case as he pulled out a pistol with three magazines placed in the box, doing his checks on the weapon.

"In all my years of working with you I had no idea you enjoy those kinds of things, ambassador." The man chuckled as he cocked back the empty pistol and pulled the trigger hearing a click as he placed it back in the box.

"They do not give life lessons because they are fables, stories which hold an interesting mire of ideas that people fantasize about having or wishing how the world could turn in their way. Stubborn and a very stupid ideal particularly that of Naruto who thinks the world peace idea is supposed to happen…fool." The ambassador laughed as he placed the box aside sitting in his chair and leaned back drumming his fingers against one another, the man taking a sip of coffee.

"I see…and the gun is for?"

"If I see that Laura fails, I will have no choice but to help cover up the mistake by using a hack and then killing her." The ambassador shrugged seeing Squall's eyes narrow in thought at the plan, catching his drift as she began to protest but was cut off by the ambassador.

"I'm sorry, Squall but it seems this will be a one way trip. Whether I live or die it doesn't matter but the results of this mission are first priority, and hopefully the VT will be wiped away by the hack so no demerit reaches the ears of the world government and my people forced to pay reparations." Squall began to tighten her grip on the glass as she spoke again.

"This is about acquiring the asset, Merle was it? Why would you want to see him, he's nothing to you." The ambassador paused as he settled his cup on the desk, his eyes looked blankly at the woman before he closed his own eyes letting out a single breath as he looked right at her with eyes of determination.

"There is something from him that I need to know."

"I see…take care then, and we'll not contact you again whether you make it out or not. You understand our protocols and all."

"Yes, unfortunately I do. It's been nice working with you Squall." He said as he switched off the screen for the last time, the woman giving a final glance at the man before she got up from her chair and walked towards the window downing her drink.

"Indeed, it's been nice working with you."

* * *

><p>With Ichika<p>

"Well that was…weird." Ichika couldn't find the proper words to even describe what he felt as he went back to his room, seeing Charles sitting at his position on the chair near the desk waiting in anticipation as he took a seat opposite her as she smiled at him brightly.

"I got something for you."

"Oh wow, this is a good set! How did you-"Charles looked down at the dinner set as Ichika smiled at her reaction, she really was cute in her own way…wait, bad thoughts Ichika!

"Well I managed to get one of the good sets because I mentioned that you were sick and the cafeteria aunt made the meal specially for you, said it would bring down the sickness and what not. Here, have a bite." He said as he opened the box and gave the chopsticks to her, Charles nodding in thanks as she dug into the food and brought the fish up to her mouth only to have the piece drop into the rice again as she tried a few more times but to no success, the girl letting out a groan.

"Charles…you never actually used chopsticks before, did you?" Ichika asked for the fourth time, watching as Charles made a cute pout at the task of using the chopsticks as she let out another groan.

"I tried but I still can't even get it done. But it's okay! I-I can do it!"

"Charles, you don't have to be ashamed of asking others for help…it won't make me think less of you for not being able to do so." Ichika said as Charles blushed at his honesty, unable to reply before Ichika sighed and rose from his chair.

"Then let me get a spoon, I can still get to the cafeteria before it closes for the night." Ichika replied as Charles shook her head, her mind already had something else in mind as she pointed a finger to herself looking at Ichika cutely as she spoke two words.

"Feed me."

That moment was the day that multitudes of Infinite Stratos fans in Merle's world suddenly fell unconscious from pleasure-filled faces as an image of Charles popped into their minds right then, causing a worldwide pandemic.

"I-I'm sorry?" Ichika stuttered out the words, his mouth just opening and closing like a fish as he tried to listen carefully putting a hand around the back of his ear in confusion before Charles took a breath and pointed at herself again.

"Feed me."

"Uh…uh, a-are you even sure?" Ichika asked as Charles nodded in determination, her eyes still holding that captivating gaze weakening the man's defense before she spoke again with a very doubtful look in her eyes.

"You said I could rely on you, but if you don't want to…"

"Okay, okay I'll do it!" Ichika said already regretting his words as he went to help out Charles, using the chopsticks to feed her the fish piece as she beamed eating the piece slowly savoring its taste despite the butchering of the meat by her attempts to pick it up.

"Mm, it's good. I would like another piece please!"

"A-Ah, okay…" Ichika smiled as he felt a bit of red color his cheeks before he continued, eventually Charles finished her food and thanked him once again before she went to bed leaving Ichika to himself as he sat on the bed drinking a cup of tea to calm his own nerves and hormones which had threatened to harden his crotch from the experience, the boy once again beating back his primal urges by reciting various clauses and class material in his mind committing the latter to memory before a light tap against the main door alerted him to a late night visitor, Ichika opening the door softly to reveal the one person he did not expect at his door so soon.

"H-Hello, Ichika."

"Houki…" He said as Houki stood still her eyes shifting left and right avoiding his gaze, her hands clasped together gripping each other tightly as she nervously tapped her feet on the floor.

"Uh, Ichika I just…I want, to tell you something. Do you remember what you promised me that day, when I was going for the kendo tournament before I abruptly had to disappear?" Ichika nodded, how could he ever forget that day when he stood with her as she felt nervous running to him for advice on how to calm down and relaxation practices before she made that promise with him?

"I remember, it was something about taking you out."

"You do know, I'm glad you do…because now, I have you after all these years of waiting and hoping I managed to meet my best friend again. It pained me a lot back then to leave, but now I will not waste this chance." Houki said as she cleared her throat, looking right at the boy who was still confused about what she wanted before she spoke her mind to him.

"Ichika, if you win this tournament…I would like to ask you out on a date." She announced with a smile, Ichika felt his world go out of sync as he stared at her feeling a tug at his heart as he looked at her and looked down at the floor.

"I-I would, I mean I am…" Ichika said with a confused tone scratching the back of his head while Houki looked at him seriously her eyes showing that she wasn't going to back down.

"Ichika. I just want you to go on a date with me, just once…no more games, no misunderstandings, I don't want any of it. I just want you, out somewhere and spend some time with me like we used to but if you don't want it to be a date then do it for an old friend who wants to remember the old days." Houki said confidently, her voice almost on the brink of breaking up as Ichika's thoughts raced…what should he say? What can he do? He can't reject her, but yet…

"I…I accept."

"Thank you." Houki said with the brightest smile he ever saw, the Japanese girl smiling as she walked off down the hallway to her room leaving Ichika to wonder about what just happened before he closed the door and went to sleep. However, the exchange did not go unnoticed as three female students were eyeing the entire conversation as one of them gave a sneaky grin.

"Chance!"

* * *

><p>With Laura Bodewig<p>

She felt humiliated, utterly defeated and helpless like a broken toy as she replayed the event over and over in her head seeing his face glaring down at her with a death glare. She gritted her teeth, sharpening the combat knife with more vigor as she recalled how Merle left her in that rubble without a second thought. It was because of him, if he hadn't stepped in front of Ichika back then…!

"No, I can wait until the tournament. Once there, Ichika Orimura…you're mine to kill." She promised herself as she stashed the combat knife in her leg pouch and went to sleep.

End

Author's Notes: Okay, for Ichika and Houki shippers let me just clear my throat for a sec…ahem…

You guys deserve this, you guys honestly deserve this…this is the epitome of friendship and love underlying at the tip just for you. I put my heart and soul into this piece of conversation and now watch me as I follow canon events and butcher this entire promise, honestly I feel like crap doing it to this beautiful promise and it may seem sudden maybe for some regarding Houki but I felt it was time to give our hero some uh…some development in relationship because honestly Houki made a good move with that statement in the novel.

Of course now that my rant about it is over, I still have not designed a choice picking for Ichika's pairing because I rather explore more of the characters and what they offer…so hooray more cockblocking like the novel.

Anyways, I hope this wets your appetite for the possibly close to ending the Laura and Charles arc. I will be adding one more chapter which covers more of Laura's encounters and part of the division tournament and some of the major players are coming on stage but with the storyline…well you can expect the result.

Goodbye guys and have a great day and or night

The VI


	17. Battle, He who Failed, Valkyrie's Cry

IS: Valkyrie

Author's Notes: Hey guys this is the VI here, so this is the new chapter and do prepare yourselves...it is going to be a hell of a chapter so be warned, and have an enjoyable time and do see my author's notes for why I did what I did.

Update: This chapter has some changes to the end, because I felt the character deserved more words to say.

Enjoy this chapter of IS Valkyrie

Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos in any way, but if I did…don't tempt me imagination!

* * *

><p>A few days before the IS division tournament<p>

Academy Park

"A large pond…you never told me anything about this, Chifuyu." Merle commented with excitement as he looked out at the clean pond save for a few lilies that floated on the surface, his eyes twinkling like the shimmering reflection of the water while he used his finger and poked the surface rapidly laughing all the way.

"Well, I did tell you but you didn't listen to me while I was introducing you to the grounds. In fact I remember you kept wandering off and doing your own thing, and you made me run literally around the academy trying not to lose sight of you." The IS legend sighed as she felt a familiar throb in her forehead, one that says it must simply whack the man for what he did to make her suffer all that before she reined him in. Chuckling, the young man continued to poke and prod the water eyeing the ripples formed with great interest.

"I did but that was the start of a beautiful relationship."

"I thought we already have a relationship but I just gave us some space." Chifuyu countered with a pout as Merle grinned his hands rubbing against each other.

"That may be true, but spending time with each other outside is a rarity and to have our gaming still under control…that's a miracle to all gamers who want to control themselves from leaping at their consoles every hour." Merle's words made her laugh with him, the two enjoying the sight before a crunch of leaves turned their attention to their rear as Merle lost his smile and met the glare of the silver-haired German pilot, her pride still sore from the shattering defeat at the arena before as she turned to Chifuyu who was beginning to rub her forehead at the oncoming torrent of questions that was about to be thrown at her.

"Chifuyu-sama…"

"Laura, it's been a while. I think months or maybe a year already, I can't really remember. How is the team back in Germany, are they doing well?" Chifuyu asked with a rather calm look on her face as Merle stood to the sidelines looking back at the pond and poking his finger into it watching the ripples.

"Sensei, remember when they gave you a choice back then? The one before you were about to leave, the ambassador he approached you and extended you an offer but you refused it…"

"I refused it because I had a brother to go back to and I promised Merle I would come back for him, our family is a complicated one Laura and not something that can be solved so easily-" Chifuyu explained before Laura interrupted her, her fists clenched already as she took a step towards her unbelief still in her eyes.

"But I had no family! I am still alive despite of that obstacle, I managed to survive through it!" Merle just glanced at her from the corner of her eye without saying a word, continuing to poke his finger but this time deliberately slow as he heard Chifuyu's sigh.

"And I told you before Laura, I am not a soldier but a normal person who had the IS capability put into me as a gift from God. I shouldn't even have that kind of ability but I did and so I made full use of it to further protect my family…but then things happened and it escalated due to my brother's kidnapping. You never had your family abandon you, in fact Laura you didn't have to worry about it and in a twisted way I am envious for that but the fact remains: my family is the most important thing that gives me the strength to win…that's my secret to my success." Chifuyu said with firmness and an aura of protectiveness which made the assistant teacher smile to himself, stopping his actions with the water and continued to stare at his reflection in the pond while Laura began to raise her voice in protest.

"Chifuyu-sama please! If you can just come back to Germany, we need people like you…you don't have to deal with all these things and the academy, just join us and it will be like back then." Laura pleaded now with more conviction as Chifuyu gave her student a shake of her head in refusal to her proposition, a sad frown on her face.

"I cannot, it's time I stopped running away from my problems and make a stand. I choose it to be here, and I won't back down from the enemies out there that wish to harm my family…I won't!" She declared sharply at Laura who stepped back, her eye widening in shock as she looked at Merle's back as if trying to get an answer from him before he stood up and turned towards her with a soft look.

"Laura, you know the circumstances surrounding Chifuyu's own transfer into your training squad and having your only member of the family under the German's protection and a stranger is taxing to her mind. If anything else, I suspect that you just want your reason for living to be near you so much the desire became an unhealthy obsession with Chifuyu being the only person who you consider 'pure' like idol worship. Considering your own circumstances surrounding your birth, I can understand it as a bystander." He paused seeing her reaction which was still hidden well behind her masked professionalism he continued sparing no mercy for the girl as he spoke each word profoundly.

"However, Chifuyu isn't the only light in your life. Your team, your classmates are all part of that light and their interactions help you grow and mature in that aspect without making you seem like a tool to be used…just as those men back in the military did. When you came into this academy, I thought this might be the only place that you will manage to find someone who truly cares for you and shows you that feelings are not a crutch but a helpful skill in making your choices."

"And it is through that logic that I want to teach you like all the others, I let you speak your mind and do what you think is right…but so far all you've been doing Laura is burning down those potential bridges to understanding life, and that by far is the most painful and saddening thing for me to see." Merle said as he stared right at Laura who was starting to get angry again, obviously confused with what she was feeling right now as she looked back to Chifuyu for advice only to find her mentor not saying a word before the German soldier stormed off not looking back leaving the two adults alone.

"She didn't take that so well." Merle just gave the woman a sideways glance seriousness showing itself in his body language as he shrugged almost nonchalantly.

"Laura needs to learn that you can't be there to give her a reason to live, and it is through the school and your absences that will train her to not keep looking up to you and relying heavily on you like a lifeline." Merle explained to Chifuyu who just gave him a glare.

"Do you think I didn't know that?"

"I wasn't trying to tear down your work, I was just saying that while you have a very subtle approach to issues I am more of the 'calling out the bullshit' kind of guy…and I just broke my deal with myself not to swear." Merle said with a groan as he tried to avoid invoking the woman's wrath, Chifuyu couldn't help but smile at his attempt to not offend her as she grabbed the sides of his head and put her lips on his forehead while a teasing glance was shot at him.

"I know, and although your methods are sometimes effective you don't know her like I do. I have after all been training her for a year, and she's an open book to me when it comes down to it." Merle had to smile at her words as he stroked her hair lovingly, wrapping her in a hug as he looked at her hair ruffling the locks as he spoke with worry.

"Well of course she is but-"

"No buts, let Ichika handle it…I think he's the only other one who can show her the way." Chifuyu chided him as the young man just gave her a look of surrender and agreement to her words.

"Of course, but I really would appreciate it if you just found another way to convince me." He said teasingly as she perked her eyebrows up at him, her mouth curling into a mischievous smile putting a finger to her lips innocently.

"Well, what do you mean?"

"I think you already know." Merle said with a knowing look as Chifuyu just giggled at his humorless tone before she wasted no time teasing her partner, the IS legend tip toeing a bit to reach the man's height staring again into his eyes which held warmth making the woman go red as Merle stroked her cheek Chifuyu throwing all caution away as she moved in to close the distance between them-

*Rustle*

"…Come on out, Ichika I know you're there." Chifuyu sighed with an annoyed groan leaving her mouth, Merle just left to laugh at the interruption not feeling the slightest twitch of annoyance or being remotely irritated as Ichika true to Chifuyu's own prediction came stumbling out of the bushes nearby the pond his white uniform covered in leaves as he swept some off his shoulder a look of disbelief crossing his face.

"And here I thought I was well-hidden." The younger Orimura sibling sighing in defeat at being caught so easily as Chifuyu just used a hand to smooth her ruffled locks a blush still on her face as she turned her back to her brother.

"Of course you weren't. In fact I noticed you during our conversation with Laura, you were in an obvious position that I could see you clear as day and if it wasn't for Laura's own height she might have seen you there if she turned behind." Chifuyu scolded her brother who just scratched his head, unable to even figure out how he would even catch his sister off guard as Merle went back to the pond poking it while Ichika fell silent at that before his sister turned to face him the flush of red completely wiped off her face.

"So what are you doing here?"

"Uh, I was going to speak to Merle for a while." Ichika just said before he recalled the moment they were having which he unceremoniously interrupted as he quickly changed his mind. "But you guys were busy so I-"

"Its fine Ichika, go and have a chat with him. I imagine he also has a word for you as well." Chifuyu said as she walked past her brother, going back towards the academy while Ichika stood still watching Merle create more ripples in the pond with little interest as the silence set in for the two men before Ichika gathered himself and began to speak.

"I just want to say I'm sorry." Merle didn't respond, still circling his finger in the pond once more before he stood up and turned back to see the younger Orimura with a neutral look as he gave a shrug at the boy.

"I have no idea what you mean."

"I think you do, I'm talking about my conversation with you days ago before the whole Laura incident that's spiraling out of control. For once I actually think that trying to protect my sister from you was the wrong thing to do, she can take care of herself but then I just want to know a few things from you before anything else happens…I just want some answers that you've denied me for over a year now." Ichika said with growing confidence as Merle kept his eyes on the boy looking behind him making Ichika nervous before the assistant teacher nodded at him asking him to continue as Ichika started.

"What do you see in my sister?"

"She's a strong woman, a person of strength and determination just like yours and a person who's caring and kindness I have not seen for a while now, or maybe not even in every woman is there a virtue like it. She knows me, we communicate well and know each other's thoughts...I can say quite a few more things." Merle answered flawlessly without hesitation at all aside from the pause at the end as Ichika nodded taking in his words before another question came to mind.

"So what were you supposed to do here, you mentioned nothing about your purpose in life…in fact you were a wanderer the first time we met and also a stranger to us. You never told me or Chifuyu until recently, so what did change?" Ichika pushed as Merle answered almost hesitantly.

"I need to save someone…a trio of siblings, I don't know who they are or what they look like but I feel that I have to find them wherever they are before things get out of control." He replied, the answer seemed to bring even more questions up to the dark-haired teenager before he saw the expression of frustration and decided it was best to not bring it up for now, Ichika taking a deep breath before he went back to the main issue at hand.

"Merle…I accept you as a member of me and Chifuyu's family, I do but trust was something that while we both gave to you it was not received in turn." Merle did look down at that before he eyed the boy with an apologetic look.

"I am sorry for that, you know that as much as I love you and your sister I felt this as my personal mission…something that ensured I wasn't helpless on my own, but I know at the same time I need someone at my side to help me out when things are difficult for me. I already have a God like that, and he granted me a blessing I can never repay him for…and he knows that I am willing to undertake this task." Merle apologized as Ichika now felt a better understanding if not just a little insight to what the man was feeling at the moment before he gave the teacher a smile.

"I'm glad you shared it with me, at least now I can stop worrying too much about your state."

"I admit it is still daunting as the time I told Chifuyu about it, but she accepted me still without a second thought or hesitation…I was hoping at the time you would understand but it seems you need a lesson in being patient and calm like Houki, and she's doing absolutely well in that area under my tutelage now." Merle let out a 'hmph' as Ichika bowed in apology, embarrassed at the memory of him sizing up his sister in a staring contest and avoiding Merle like the plague before his mind slow as usual began to register the last part, the teenage boy looking up from his bow as he stood straight again relaxing his arms.

"Wait, you mean that all this time Houki has been…"

"Yes she has and I bet that she hasn't even once thought about punching you or hitting you with a shinai whenever you say something** insensitive** or even remotely **stupid for logic to explain** sentences without any sense of **discernment** right?" Merle quipped purposefully emphasizing on specific words to which the clueless and possibly 'dropped on the floor when he was baby damaging his skull' innocent teenage boy just tilted his head and let out probably the most mindless comment in the world.

"Huh?"

"That's just great Chifuyu your brother doesn't seem to get the signs remotely right when it's staring at him in the face." Merle muttered to himself accompanied with a slap to the forehead as the moment of brotherly bonding was broken, the man spinning on his heel and walking away while Ichika still lacking understanding called out after him a confused look still etched on his face.

"Wait, what do you mean by that?"

"Go figure it out yourself, man!"

* * *

><p>Day of the division tournament, changing room<p>

The day of the division tournament, the month of June where representatives from all countries as well as local students in Japan fight it out with both personal and practice IS suits to display their country's strength and results of their training under the tutelage of their teachers. It is also a special day where the ambassadors of all countries and certain members of the Japanese government attend to witness and gauge the strengths and weaknesses of their own allies and or enemies alike, though many of the students aside from the representatives would be aware of the true purpose of this event. In the changing room where dozens of female pilots wait for their turn to show their skills on the battlefield, one particular pair standing in front of a row of TV screens watching the academy logo spinning with anticipation and also a sense of urgency stood out.

"This is it, isn't it Charles?" Ichika said to his friend, the blonde girl still disguising her breasts with bindings nodded in reply watching the screen together with her new found friend as she took a deep breath looking ahead.

"Yeah, you can't wait to be paired against Laura Bodewig right?" She said as Ichika nodded, recalling the German girl who beat his friends to a bloody pulp as his fists tightened waiting to get a shot back at the girl as he faced Charles with a determined look.

"I can't wait for that, but I heard that Rin and Cecilia haven't even recovered yet or even perform at their best so they're not allowed to participate for this one." Charles simply gave one of her kind yet intoxicating smiles at Ichika, making him blush at her action.

"Well whatever happens, if you don't beat her in the beginning then make sure you get to the top and beat her there."

"Thanks." Ichika said in appreciation at her encouragement, a hand suddenly clapping on his and Charlotte's shoulders making the two of them jump in surprise as they turned to face Merle who was standing beside Chifuyu who had a smile on her face, a rare occasion that Ichika didn't get to even see especially when out of work.

"Merle-san, Chifuyu-sensei!" Ichika spoke first as Merle waved a hand at the boy's politeness, his smile unwavering as he glanced at Chifuyu who was beginning to feel some starry eyes watching her from the back over the excited chattering of the students and representatives who were awaiting the first round of the tournament, making the IS legend uncomfortable before Merle pulled her close to his side giving a smile at her to lighten up which she replied with a grin while he spoke to Ichika.

"Ichika, Charles…if that's your name, I and Chifuyu just came by to see our favorite student and brother off on his journey to be the very best…and that was a Pokémon reference, I think I owe Chifuyu twenty bucks for that comment." Merle said hanging his head in realization of where that sentence could go as he reached into his pocket and slapped money on Chifuyu's hand who just smiled sweetly at him.

"Thank you, Merle."

"Always a pleasure doing business, dear…always." He complimented as Chifuyu elbowed him lightly, the teacher laughing cheekily as Charles smiled brightly at their interaction giggling in humor at the display of affection between the two teachers as she spoke.

"You two make a good couple, Merle."

"Well I wouldn't be so sure, but overall yeah we are…though I still owe someone else a date." Merle said in thanks muttering out the last part only for Chifuyu to hear as she felt herself scowl slightly before she went back to her normal self, leaving both students in the dark as they both looked to each other and back at Merle.

"So am I going to fight Laura?" Ichika asked impatiently before Merle tapped the boy on the head with his palm silently asking the boy to calm down as the boy relaxed, Merle releasing his palm as he sighed at the boy's own feelings.

"Look you will be fighting her, but I honestly think that even so you have to calm down and take it slow. I know you're still upset by the arena thing but always remember what I told you before every battle."

"If they're easily angered, don't goad them but simply let them waste their energy before you land the critical blow." Ichika recited the quote perfectly without a hiccup as Merle chuckled impressed by the amount of study the boy had been putting in, since the Cecilia battle Ichika had not slacked off like many others would have but instead asked him for some help when he did not understand a topic and wanted clarification or tutorials from him, something he willingly did as Ichika always fell behind in theory lessons although since the ban he had to make Ichika recite strategies and such to adapt to his instincts whenever he entered the ring considering how well he did for a rookie against experienced pilots.

"Good man, and Laura is one of those hotheaded bulls who will charge straight for you so keep your eyes on her…now I imagine the random arrangement of teams should be just about done now so pay attention." He pointed as the screens came to life, displaying a whole list of names and announcements for the first team battle Ichika looking with an inhuman focus on the mention of his name while Charlotte glanced back at Ichika for a bit seeing his eyes staring hard at the screen making her chuckle before she turned back seeing the names appear-

"What?!" Both Ichika and Charles yelled out in surprise while Merle just gave a 'huh' at the screen, not expecting the result of the random draw while Chifuyu had a slightly concerned face for the pairing as well as the pairing for the opponent.

With Houki

"I knew it." Houki muttered with an inward curse of her own bad luck, turning to face her partner who would be teaming up with her feeling uncomfortable by the obsessed glance by a silver-haired girl of short stature wearing a metallic eyepatch her only crimson colored eye gleaming with bloodlust, Houki looking back at the screen where her opponents' names were listed closing her eyes.

"Ichika, forgive me. I won't hold back just because it's you." Houki muttered as she strengthened her resolve, the promise seemingly becoming quite not the way she expected it to go.

With Charles and Ichika

"Our opponents are…!" Charles and Ichika said in unison, something that Merle noticed as well as the stunned expressions on their faces while he looked back at the screen.

Charles Dunois and Ichika Orimura vs. Houki Shinonono and Laura Bodewig

"Welp, never saw that one coming from a mile away. You, Chifuyu dear?" He asked his partner who shook her head in reply to his question.

"The teachers aren't involved, we just use a computer to generate which person pairs with whom, some background of skill and talent is of course part of the selection for team battles. But I wasn't expecting the first round to already have such a pair up like this…though I can see the advantages of such a pairing for the former." Chifuyu commented, Merle nodding as he caught on to the logic but still for the computer to even select something like this was not seemingly a coincidence.

"_God, that was the sign you promised me that would begin my mission, so what's so specific about this event that has such significance to it?" _

"Whatever it is, I am sure that we'll have a real party today…in fact I think Laura Bodewig is about to get a run for her money when she deals with this pair. A long range and close combat specialist line up is a rare treat, but I sense that Ichika and Charlotte have that air of cooperation around them." He whispered back to Chifuyu who nodded sensing the same thing coming from the two like a synergy linking them together…now that she thought about it, she had not considered getting Ichika to pair up with one of the girls so far before Merle read her expression and leaned near her ear.

"We'll get around to that, for now let's go to the control tower and get some privacy with Yamada huh?" He said with a cheeky tone as Chifuyu just snickered following him as the sea of excited students parted for the couple exiting the changing room.

* * *

><p>Ambassador's podium<p>

"Ambassador, good to see you again." The German ambassador shook the hand of an elderly man, smiling at the gesture as he responded kindly in reply.

"To you as well my dear friend, to you as well…let's have a seat." The old man nodded at the middle-aged man, both of them sitting just beside each other as the secret service agents of both their respective countries moved behind him to stand on either side of the chairs similar to some of the other high ranking politicians while several others simply had their secretaries on standby, no doubt in the German ambassador's mind that they were simply going to record each fight openly as a reminder of their hidden hostilities.

"Would you like some tea, my old friend the finest one in Britain!"

"Ah yes I would like a cup of it, I have been drinking too much coffee I need to balance it out." The German remarked casually as he accepted the brewed tea cup, smelling the tea leaves that fizzled in the hot beverage while his friend did so as well giving a relaxing sigh.

"It is good to have some tea in the midst of all this political whoo-hah we all find ourselves in."

"Indeed David, indeed." The man said to the newly named David, the ambassador smiling at the German man as he took a sip appreciating the warm liquid down his throat clearing him of his coarseness in his voice while he spoke in a more serious tone.

"It seems that **he's **here, or so the reports say." The words of the ambassador alerted the German man who turned to look at David who simply didn't reply taking another sip of his tea while the ambassador began to shift in his seat.

"Who?"

"I think you already know the answer to that, my old friend…so I'll ask again," David spoke a bit more harshly as he placed down the teacup on the tray that sat on the small round table between the men, turning to face the ambassador with a twinkle in his blue beady eyes. "Why is there an international criminal here in this very facility?"

"I can safely tell you David that that is what I'm asking myself right now, and I do not know why **he's** here or what kind of purpose does **he** have in this academy but I will be getting to the bottom of this with the Japanese government."

"I hope so, for your sake and mine. Is the Japanese government aware?"

"They are, but they aren't making a move in the rogue state but are currently contacting the headmaster about it though from the last I heard they aren't making progress and the laws concerning the academy are strict including about international involvement or attempts made in their affairs." David gave a thoughtful hum at this, the German ambassador himself keeping a good poker face as he went into his private thoughts.

"_Seems like Phantom Task has played their hand, now all that's left is to do my job and leave my fate to God."_

"On a more lighter note, ambassador I notice that you seem to look a lot like that criminal whenever I glance at you."

"Oh? And why is that, David?" David merely gave a quick look at the middle-aged man, eyeing him like a hawk circling its prey as the German ambassador seemed to stiffen slightly despite his best efforts to show no weakness or tells against him, the old man simply tore his eyes back to the arena as he spoke.

"It's your eyes, and the way you show your aura gives a lot of similarities." The German ambassador sweated slightly as David suddenly had a smile on his face.

"But of course, it is simply speculation…no need for being so stiff when you get to see the younger generation showing off their skills! Think of this as some good old fashioned entertainment." The old man chuckled as he looked towards the ramp with interest seeing the first IS suit for the first team battle launch from the pad across their position, David chuckling again as he looked in amazement at the black IS suit standing proudly alongside a practice IS standing beside the personal IS the German ambassador looking on in particular interest when he realized it was Laura, the ambassador then seeing another pair launch from the same ramp and onto the field but it was the white and blue machine that stunned the ambassador alongside David who gave a whistle in recognition, his eyes widening slightly with great interest.

"Now that takes me back a long way, and to think out of all the people piloting that very same IS…he would be the one to take over Miss. Chifuyu's own personal IS. What poetic beauty is found in such a coincidental choice but I expect nothing less, from the first male IS pilot in the world!"

"Indeed it is, ambassador. Indeed it should be." The German ambassador spoke cryptically as he watched the team battle about to commence.

* * *

><p>Down in the Arena<p>

"I will beat you, Ichika Orimura…after that I will make sure you suffer. So don't even think of holding back on me."

"Fine by me, Laura Bodewig I don't know what your issue with me is, or how you knew about my kidnapping…but I promise you this: I will be the one to defeat you!" Ichika declared right back at Laura's own threat making the German girl grit her teeth, Houki on the other hand was looking nervously at Ichika and back to Charles who was looking straight at her with a nod of acknowledgement which she returned, the Japanese girl bringing her sword up to point right at Charles.

"Get ready, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…"

"Go!" At the announcement, the four IS suits dispersed with Ichika coming back in with a charge towards Laura who used her wires again but she was in for a surprise as ichika instead of mindlessly charging in a headlong clash decided to dodge and weave his way through surprising Houki who then moved away from the two main fighters as Charles opened fire with her sub-machine guns keeping the Japanese girl away from her intended target.

Meanwhile Laura and Ichika were in a standstill, Laura constantly keeping an eye out as Ichika once again charged using the dodge and weave pattern before he was blocked by the combat knives that Laura wielded, the two fighters gritting teeth as Laura disengaged from the fight and proceeded to fire her shoulder mounted cannon Ichika moving out of the way before he boosted his speed, rushing in past Laura and grazed the girl's shields as she blocked the blow barely with her knife.

"Not bad, Laura." Ichika commented while Laura just pushed back the boy sending him flying back before she used her wires to try and grip him, the wire tying around his IS ankle before she smirked bringing her cannon to bear on Ichika who was struggling.

"Ichika!" Laura suddenly lost focus as a rifle shot was coming towards her, the German girl unable to react but instead of being hit by the projectile it was instead blocked by Houki who had dived in front of the girl. Instead of thanking her however, Laura pushed Houki aside roughly as she turned to Houki with fiery eyes.

"Stay out of this!" She cried out before a shot burst her shield, making Laura release her grip on Ichika who then got ready to charge once again at the girl while Charles continued to shoot at Laura only to be blocked by the polygon barrier from before, Charles cursing at the AIC as she continued to fire Ichika already charging again at Laura before a blur appeared in front of him with a hack aimed for him, Ichika immediately countered with his strike deflecting the blow as Houki rushed him pushing him back as she aimed a kick pushing him back and striking his shield though with light damage.

"Don't get sloppy around me, Ichika!" Houki chided the young boy as she came at him again, the two trading blows for a while with each strike trying to outdo the other Ichika hurriedly trying to best his childhood friend as he took a quick glance catching a cannon firing at Charles merely grazing her before he parried Houki's strike and struck her, the girl stumbling back but swung her sword in a horizontal arc below his arms striking his armor at the same time both combatants staggered by each of their blows before they checked each of their shields but it was already obvious in their expressions that Houki was clearly outmatched by the personal IS that stood in front of her, Houki seeing a red indicator on her shields as she closed her eyes and breathed in while Ichika could stare at his screen with a gaping mouth.

"She just used a practice IS to cut my shields down a third…not bad already, Houki. But we both know how this will end." Ichika declared.

* * *

><p>In the control room<p>

"Oh just cut her down already, Ichika no need to utter something cool before the final blow! It's just cheesy!"

"Merle-san, aren't you being a little too loud?" Yamada-sensei muttered as Merle grudgingly accepted, letting out a 'hmph' at the screen showing the battle below while Chifuyu concentrated on the screen not taking her eyes of her brother for a second so she was unaware of the words being traded between Merle and Yamada.

"Okay, I'll be quiet Yamada…it's a promise!"

"Thank goodness for that, I don't want another 'Cecilia' incident again."

"Hey, that's a low blow!" Merle cried out at the jab.

* * *

><p>Back to the arena<p>

"Come Ichika, we both know how this ends!" Houki said as she and Ichika charged at each other, both of them clashing blades again as they continued the assault parrying and grazing each other's shields with grace attracting most of the audience's attention who were awed by the swordplay, particularly the ambassadors who were looking on in interest while the German ambassador reached into the inside of his black business jacket feeling the cold material of the gun in hand as he continued to watch the battle.

"C'mon Ichika…you are not slacking off are you? You can beat me, so do it already!" Houki said as Ichika felt a surge of power within him, the two chipping each other's shields before Ichika parried and in a sudden motion he moved to his right while he lowered his katana to avoid the clash, his weapon shattering the polygon shield of Houki's practice IS as the Japanese girl widened her eyes in shock at the defeating blow her IS deactivating instantly and folded itself as Houki let out a brief sigh before Ichika rushed towards Charles who was already at half her capacity while Laura was barely getting a scratch as she held up her AIC and blocked the projectiles again in taunting as she replied with her cannon sending dust up in the air again.

"Charles!"

"Ichika, over here!" Charles called out as the dust kept on flying shrouding the two in a barrier with the ongoing barrage, the two dodging and talking amongst the shells.

"We need a plan to get around her AIC!"

"Co-ordinated attack, now!" Ichika suggested as Charles nodded, both of them moving into the open where Laura now aimed at Ichika who was charging at her and avoiding her cannon fire, the boy used his katana to slash down only to be rebuffed by the AIC. Unfortunately for Laura, her reckless attack left her vulnerable to a distraction and she did not expect a storm of bullets to suddenly appear out of nowhere shredding her shields as she realized what happened and disengaged her AIC to counter the attack only to clash with Ichika forcing her back as Charles stopped firing, Ichika pushing her back.

"So my theory was correct, your AIC can only block one opponent but you can't handle two because you can lose focus so easily!" Ichika said as he forced himself forward making the soldier widen her eyes in shock that her technique had been beaten, the girl feeling nothing but humiliation as she found herself in a repeating pattern of coordinated attacks from both of her opponents and with her teammate down…it seemed that it was all over. Unfortunately for her, the German ambassador was already readying his weapon as he watched her struggle and become tense and desperate his eyes narrowing further as he glanced at the secret service agents and the other politicians too engrossed in the astounding battle that he took his leave, signaling to the two agents to hold position while he went off on his own to prepare for the worst.

* * *

><p>With Laura<p>

She couldn't believe her eyes, here she was the supersoldier for Germany being beaten back by a teenage boy who hadn't even seen combat first-hand working hand in hand with another guy to beat her back as well as defeat her AIC technique, at this rate she would soon lose and would not get the revenge she so sought for…she could not lose here! She had to get her Chifuyu-sama back to Germany and help her live…she had to!

_**Do you want power?**_

"Yes…" Laura answered the female voice that rang in the back of her head, the silver-haired girl unsure of where the voice was from but yet at the same time she felt like it was familiar…Laura snapping out of her thoughts as she blocked another blow from Ichika before she used her wire and grabbed him throwing him aside as she sent out an AIC before she charged at Charles, the combat knife slamming into Charles as her shields began to go down a little as Ichika charged up his Reiraku Byakuya and charged at her, the super soldier realizing her mistake as she saw the attack come towards her.

"Take this!" Ichika yelled before he suddenly stopped in mid-air unable to complete the charge as Laura took the chance to dodge out of Charles' own spray of bullets and right at him.

"You're a stupid boy, if you try to use that ability you'll lose all your shields!"

"Damn it!" Ichika cursed as he charged again with the sword, bringing it up to smash on her AIC as she brought out her laser spear.

"It's useless!" She said as she suddenly found herself in another barrage of bullets.

_**Do you want power? Strength to win this battle?**_

What was this voice in her head, Laura losing focus before she shrugged off the thoughts and charged at Charles who used her guns to fire into the AIC.

"It's already useless, I have the AIC to-"

*Boom* Laura felt herself thrown back by the sudden explosion that ripped through her gauntlet, the German soldier widening her eyes in sudden realization as she turned to see Ichika wielding one of Charles' sub-machine guns, the girl looking in shock as she couldn't believe what she was seeing the two IS charging at her together.

"No! I can't lose here! I won't!" She said as her instincts kicked in, but instead she found her shields being torn to shreds by bullets an indicator already reaching critical levels before she brought her cannon and fired a round which was avoided by the two and hit the area behind them, the two nodding as they moved towards her the German girl unable to even respond as she suddenly felt three shots pierce her shields, the girl's crimson eye widening in disbelief as she watched the polygons shatter on the arena ground before the voice rang out again.

_**Do you want power?**_

"Yes…"

_**Do you want this newfound power to win?**_

"Yes…I will not lose…NEVER!" Laura roared out loud before her world exploded into white, the only sounds she could hear were her screams of pain as she heard a robotic voice sounding over her cries.

"_**Valkyrie Trace…activated."**_

* * *

><p>The control room<p>

"Chifuyu, I have to leave now something cropped up." Merle suddenly said as he rose from his seat at one of the screens, Chifuyu turning in a questioning look before she saw the gloves being put on his hands as she widened her eyes suddenly shooting him a look that demanded answers.

"Chifuyu please…trust me on this." Seeing that the woman was still standing there arms crossed, he quickly gave the short version to his girlfriend.

"The German ambassador left without his escort."

"What?!" Chifuyu made her way towards the screen where Merle was, her eyes catching sight of the middle-aged man leaving his seat Merle taking the chance to sprint out of the room leaving Chifuyu behind as she called out to him.

"Merle! Wait-"She stopped as she heard a noise from the screen and turned to face the main arena camera where Laura was slowly being put down by the last attack by Ichika and Charles, Ichika closing in past Laura's defences and in an instant shot three consecutive shots into the soldier's IS Laura looking on in disbelief as her shields were finally shattered but instead of the IS simply deactivating and the ejection sequence about to be initiated, Chifuyu noticed Laura suddenly going limp before the soldier raised her voice and cried out in pain as something unexpected happened that shocked Chifuyu to her core.

"That's the…!"

* * *

><p>With the German ambassador<p>

"Hold it, ambassador."

"So, you came at last…you were always so quick on the draw to notice when something is wrong, Merle." The ambassador turned to face his opponent, Merle panting slightly as he adjusted the brown golf cap that he wore his gloves already lighting up while the ambassador simply glanced down at his hands.

"Nice gloves."

"Thanks, I got them off a girl with a penchant for all things bunny and cute." He said in a smart jab as the ambassador simply gave a sigh at the young man, his eyes narrowed as he brought the gun up to face Merle who already tensed ready to charge with the AIC.

"I see that you wish to stand in my way, Merle…I am not a man so easily swayed, and although I lack technology I have smarts and wits to win this." The ambassador calmly spoke as Merle kept his guard up the AIC bubble already in place unknowing to the older man who continued to point the gun at him both men going in a circle.

"So what is all this then? Why are you so tense and panicky while wielding a gun? I saw Laura's readings, it was unnatural and although it had the usual readings of an IS I detected a small anomaly…back at the arena when I beat her I had the chance to read a strange detection relating to the programming, and do you know what I found?" Merle said as he walked cautiously while the ambassador had a surprised face at the mention of Merle even beating an IS as he looked down at the gloves.

_Did the gloves have something to do with this?_

"I found a VT programming embedded so deep I couldn't decrypt it at all. In fact it was like you stuffed a modified IS core in place of her original, with the virus to take over when she reached critical levels! Am I right, ambassador?" Merle just shouted as the ambassador kept his gun up trained on the man.

"We had to send you a message."

"A message from who?!"

"Phantom Task." The ambassador's words suddenly made him stop, the ambassador taking the chance to fire a few timed shots as Merle charged at the older man the AIC absorbing the attack as he gripped the man's fire arm and flipped the unsteady man onto the floor, the ambassador aiming the gun at Merle as he held out his hand switching the bubble to a shield mode as the older man spent his clip, the weapon not given a chance to be fired as Merle pinned him down quickly after two shots with his knee keeping a lock on the wrist as he sent a knee onto the man's neck breaking the ambassador's nose as the gun clattered to the floor.

"Phantom Task…why the hell are you working for them, what did they promise you huh?!" Merle demanded as the ambassador had a frown etched on his face looking up at his opponent.

"They didn't promise me anything, I took their side of my own volition." He said before Merle twisted the man's wrist making him scream in pain as he kneed him onto the ground again, making blood spatter all over the floor.

"Why?!"

"Do I need a reason…besides instead of trying to expose me, you have more things to worry about than just a Phantom Task operative running around."

"Why is that?" Merle snarled as he twisted the man's wrist again the knee pressing down on his shoulder threatening to break the man's arm as he gave the man a smile.

"Because that VT is going to go off and soon everyone will be in danger, including Laura…" Merle shrugged and used his knee to press down snapping the muscle as the ambassador screamed out loud.

"Why are you trying to do this? What does Phantom Task want?"

"I am not about to tell you that, but as of right now…you're a wanted criminal."

"What?" Merle looked shocked as the ambassador decided to play his trump card, the man looking up at the assistant teacher with a glare.

"How did it feel, killing your own father that day Amasa? Did you feel guilt or shame, or did you decide to run away from your problems by becoming a runaway fugitive!" Merle lost his temper as he let his knee go down full force as he twisted the wrist of the ambassador with a resounding crack, the ambassador howling clutching his broken arm before Merle delivered a punch making the ambassador's vision swim as blood flowed from a cut on his forehead before Merle flipped him over gripping his collar, a dark glare on Merle's face.

"I didn't kill my father! He killed me!"

"You…what?" The ambassador suddenly widened his eyes, or at least one of them from the bruise on the side of his right eye starting to swell a little his broken arm forgotten as his adrenaline kept him from feeling most of the pain.

"I didn't kill my father, I was supposed to die! Just who are you anyway?!" Merle shouted, his anger receding as he internally prayed to God to stay his hand as a moment of peace flooded his soul before the ambassador grabbed the gun while keeping his eye on Merle before he glanced deep into Merle's sudden twist of recognition as the assistant teacher looked closely into the ambassador's eyes before the man coughed out a broken tooth, seeing the assistant teacher loosen his grip on his fists as the man stared right at the beaten man.

"No…no, you can't be." The ambassador didn't respond, watching Merle begin to have a tear slide down his eye as he shook his head in denial as the older man looked up at his expression in confusion. What was this man doing, crying over a failure like him…it made no sense at all to the older man, the ambassador glancing at the weapon briefly as he sighed in failure. The game was over, it was finally over for him as he eyed the pistol still having some bullets in which he saved just for this.

He had enough of running, of hiding and avoiding his mistakes…he had spent enough, a lifetime almost running away before Phantom Task found him and gave him a new name, a new life with a willing pledge to follow them for the rest of his time on the earth. He had seen into the darkness and jumped into it, did things that no man should ever do…all for an empty life. He did so gladly, because then he never had to face what he did no matter how much time would pass he will forget it eventually…no one could dissuade him from his empty living, it was perfect.

Then Merle came, and soon he found questioning his life again…what point was his own life if all he had was a lie, a life constructed of fantasy and nothing more than the spun tales of being from a farm and growing up with the best education in Germany bred for politics? It wasn't fair, he saw Merle still living and getting his life up to the fullest so why couldn't he do the same with the wealth he had?

Then he saw it, one night he was shown the truth. And that truth spurred him on to find this man, to find him and ask something of him…he wanted to know, the urge was killing him everyday he spent his time being idle. But in the end he understood well enough something that had already hit him since he accepted his new life.

He had failed.

He had failed to live a life worthy of good, he failed to even turn and repent for his sins…he was nothing but a tool and a killer to the end. While Merle had life, he only had death awaiting for him and his body was just about to catch up to him and how spectacularly he had fallen! How he had fallen, and because of one single choice he had set his path up for this.

And he knew it.

He had failed already, the ambassador knew that when he ran into Merle and saw him disarm him…it was all according to his plan, there was no code to deactivate a rampant virus like the Valkyrian Trace it was impossible. The only method was to kill the subject, and Laura provided the perfect distraction for this…the ambassador chuckled softly to himself, it was indeed a one way trip for him and by now the people out there would have witnessed the VT taking form and even if he did stop it Germany was going to pay for it anyway, it was too late.

But he needed to know one thing.

"Merle…ha, in your world…did he suffer? Did he…have to…face his consequences? Tell me, Merle…at least let me know, please." Merle looked absolutely stunned at the older man's words, his eyes looking down and up at the man who laid broken and beaten before him a pleading look in his eyes…it was his own as Merle simply closed his eyes and spoke from his memory.

"God told me this…he would pay for his crimes."

"…*cough* is that right? I see now…*cough*, so that whole event wasn't a dream. It was real….*cough* *cough*, as real as it could be." The ambassador said with a hint of a smile, seeing Merle look on at the defeated man staring down at his twisted limb without a care in the world as Merle just only managed to find this own voice to speak.

"How...?" The ambassador simply glanced upwards to meet the assistant teacher's eyes, a face filled with nothing but regret.

"I made a choice, Amasa. I dug my grave, and I willingly accepted. For all my sins I could never ever wipe that day clean from my mind, I thought that all I did for the purpose of nothingness would soothe me, protect me but I was wrong...I made my choice and if there was a chance to go to heaven, to see God and admit my wrongs I would." The ambassador felt the shock of his arm being broken blurring his vision as he struggled to hold on to consciousness as he tried to get his words out to the young man kneeling beside him, a tone of acceptance.

"But I won't be going to heaven, not for this…I am determined to go to hell for it, it's all in the blood I spilt."

"No, no I won't let you." Merle said as the ambassador was already pointing the gun at himself, making sure the assistant teacher wasn't watching as he stared up at Merle with a sad look.

"I'm sorry, Merle…but before this is over, I have to tell you something important *cough* *cough*. A message if you will from me to you." He said as he pointed the gun at Merle struggling not to make any movements as Merle shook his blurry vision.

"What is it?"

"Watch out for *cough*, watch out for *cough*…Madoka….Orimura." The ambassador spoke with finality before he used the last of his strength to bring the gun to his mouth and in front of the shocked Merle who was caught off guard by the words spoken, the older man closed his eyes and without hesitation, he pulled the trigger.

End

Author's Notes: This is it, the arc is coming to a close with a revelation and now Merle will be challenged, the thing is coming to a bit of a close but the box will remain a bit of a secret for now…so yes that is something wrapped up.

So why did I choose this, it was better to see the two halves come together for Merle and I felt he deserved to be given his own mission now so that he doesn't keep going in the dark.

As for the end of the arc, well I will keep on planning it out as I normally would but I think I would rest as my arms are tired.

Hopefully this kept you entertained for the evening as it is night for me now so take care and I'll see you guys again on the next IS: Valkyrie.

The VI


	18. Madoka, Confrontation

IS Valkyrie

Author's Notes: Okay guys this isn't the final chapter of the Laura and Charlotte arc but it resolves the main conflicts and I will be ending the arc with the next chapter and possibly a side story of Merle again, and I hope that the previous chapter was not too fast or the least shocking as it should be.

To be clear, about the ambassador: his involvement is a little deeper which I will emphasise soon but for now...what will happen in this resolution of the conflict in the arena and a surprise visit from someone will confirm Merle's personal mission.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Infinite stratos light novel and it all goes to the author of it.

* * *

><p>Arena at the same time<p>

"What's happening?!" Ichika looked on with his sword lowered as Laura Bodewig began to scream in absolute pain, Charles also having a very stunned look on her face as recognition flashed briefly before she grabbed Ichika and pulled him back from the German pilot as her eyepatch began to slip off revealing a gold colored iris before a black slimy material began to ooze out of her IS core covering her body in the strange black liquid. The politicians and ambassadors meanwhile had already set their plans in motion, David standing up to look at his right to realize the German ambassador was missing from the battle the man's suspicions confirmed as he took a sip of his tea, his head turned to look up at his two service agents who noticed the German agents disappearing down the stairs leading to the back of the arena shooting a glance to follow them as the two black-suited men nodded and pursued the agents, David sipping on his tea as he looked worriedly down at the German pilot already recognizing the familiar ooze of black.

"No doubt about it, that's the Valkyrie Trace system."

"Ambassador David!" An agent rushed to the old man's side his worried eyes hidden by the dark sunglasses as the old ambassador stopped from drinking his tea, David shooting the man a look that told him to relax.

"Relax young fellow, the IS pilot is not targeting the politicians as of this moment." He drawled out, watching the three other pilots on the other side of the arena standing together with Charles and Ichika protectively in front of Houki who managed to get her IS suit working as the liquid began to take the form of an armored being, Ichika bracing himself before he saw the figure oozing out more black material from its hands taking on the stance of a Japanese kendo practitioner the positioning throwing Ichika off as he still kept a firm grip on his weapon, Charles already reloading her rifle and sub-machine guns as she looked over at her partner with concern as she read his shield level readings, fueling her worry.

"Ichika your shields-"

"What…is that?" Ichika cut off Charlotte who suddenly turned back to Laura or whatever it was that stood in their way brandishing a familiar blade in front of the two of them, the silent warrior then raising the blade upwards in a charging stance as Ichika eyed the blade with utter shock.

"Is that…Yukihira?" Ichika suddenly felt his instincts kick into overdrive as the black meta-warrior charged and tried to hack at the two pilots who dodged immediately, the warrior going after Ichika who then faced the threat head-on making sure he wasn't going to get any hits from his opponent. Charles took advantage of the distraction to fire on the meta-warrior which shrugged off the hits and focused on Ichika who then took to the skies, the warrior following him as he tried to shake it off his back by weaving and then landing on the ground making sure he had distance between him and the warrior.

"Charles! I don't think we can even scratch that thing!" He said to Charles before the warrior suddenly did the next unexpected thing, it charged at Ichika with an Ignition Boost scaring Ichika who then dived out of the way, his IS going in a semi-circle around it as the male pilot gritted his teeth before Charles noticed something the girl instantly going straight at Ichika who was already getting ready for yet another attack, noticing he was visibly upset.

"Ichika!" Charles came to Ichika's side but the male pilot just looked at her with a fiery look in his eyes, telling her to clear away as the blonde-haired French girl stopped in her tracks.

"No, stay away from here she'll attack you as well! I have to fight her!" Ichika said as he brought up Yukihira to his front a blazing fire in the pits of his stomach as he calmed himself remembering Merle's own teaching to strengthen and douse the fiery impulse that was screaming death threats at the monster in front of him, promising to beat Laura senseless for daring to copy his older sister's techniques but he pushed the thoughts aside…he had to deal with this first.

"I don't know what you are, or how you even copied that technique…but you're going to pay for that!" Ichika readied himself as he and the meta-warrior charged at each other.

* * *

><p>With Merle<p>

"Madoka…Orimura?" Merle whispered the name to himself, his eyes widened as he glanced at the bloody head of the German ambassador who had just committed suicide in front of the teacher, Merle feeling his strength leaving him as he deactivate the AIC surrounding his body an eternity seemingly passing along before he heard footsteps approaching his position the teacher immediately standing up and readied the AIC with his glove, the footsteps growing louder to reveal two men in dark suits appearing in front of him the duo stopping before they aimed their guns at the teacher to which Merle replied with a blank stare his eyes showing open defiance.

"Drop it, Anastasio Merle! You're wanted for terrorism and working for Phantom Task, surrender and drop the gloves on the floor!" The agent ordered as his partner circled Merle who gave a gesture to the ambassador's bloody body.

"He told me…right before he shot himself in the face." He said with a low growl as the agents jabbed their pistols at the man again sweat pouring down the pair's necks.

"Just surrender and we will take you into custody, Anastasio!" The man yelled before the footsteps of two more men came down the hallway, all three men turning their heads at the pair of newcomers who drew their weapons at the German agents while Merle took a few steps away from the ambassador's body well aware that things were going straight to hell right then. The German agents and their counterparts now found themselves in a precarious situation, all five men feeling tense as they had their weapons trained on both Merle and David's entourage Merle knowing it wasn't wise to speak.

"What is going on here, German?"

"We're attempting an arrest, Anastasio Merle is being put in German imprisonment for the murder of our ambassador and ties to the mysterious group known as Phantom Task!" The German agent announced as the two men hesitated unsure of whether to believe his words before Merle took the chance to escape, running down the hallway just as the German agent's head turned before he heard a shout.

"He's going down the hallway, shoot him!" Merle just growled as he kept running, his knowledge of the layout helping him navigate through the hallway and enter the stadium through one of the entrances closing the door behind him as the footsteps ran past him, the teacher pausing as he heard a noise as the man hid in the shadowy corner seeing one of the agents move into his view before he immediately covered the agent's mouth his other arm going into a lock as he dragged the struggling agent into the corner before he performed a sleeper hold, watching as the man gasped for breath before he began to go still and succumbed to sleep Merle then placing him in the corner as he grabbed the gun.

"As a precaution." He muttered as he grabbed the holster off the agent, securing it to his chest with the weapon before he walked out of the door and back into the hallway.

"I have to say, Squall's trap of using the incriminating documents by the Sarashiki agent were useful for this plan…makes this easier for me to acquire the asset myself." A low voice sounding a lot like Chifuyu's made Merle's own eyes become wide as dinner plates, the man standing still as he turned his head slightly to his right. Standing just beside him a few meters shorter than him stood a girl with black messy hair and orange eyes with a dark look dressed in a cloak that covered most of her body leaving her legs exposed dressed in black pants and boots as Merle narrowed his eyes hiding his surprise and shock at the uncanny resemblance as he spoke with a bit of a break in his voice.

"You look just like…"

"My sister, right? That's what they all say, about me and my sister…" The girl smirked, her eyes holding malice behind the facial expression as he turned to face her Merle gripping his hands readying themselves for a fight, the girl simply giving a chuckle at his aggressive stance her fingers itching on the gun she hid beneath the cloak.

"It's useless to resist, your AIC is quite special you know…a one of a kind technology. Taking you will be a bonus."

"You must be Madoka Orimura, the third sibling…that makes a lot of sense right now." Merle muttered out loud as Madoka gave him a glare, her teeth gritting at the surname before she brought the gun up to his face with a click as Merle stood unfazed by the gun pointing in his face as she spat out her words.

"Don't you even dare group me in the same category as those…traitors, they can't even be considered my family after what they did to me!" Madoka yelled at Merle who just glanced at her with worry, the stance she held suggested that she was good at close quarters and any attempt from him to even act upon retaliation could work or he could run away…but although he wanted to, something else held him back.

"What does Phantom Task want from me?"

"That source of energy that was at the warehouse, you were the cause right?" Seeing Merle nod Madoka then gave a smirk at him, as though he had given himself her answer before he decided to get more information extracted from her.

"Why me? If anything the source of the energy didn't come from me directly." He said as Madoka gave a laugh, just how stupid was this man trying to play her for? Madoka replied by jabbing the gun closer to Merle who just stood there unfazed still not even a look of panic was evident in his expression before it grated the girl's nerves her grip on the weapon tightening.

"You won't shoot me."

"Really? Do you want to find out just how serious I am?" Madoka aimed at Merle's foot and fired a shot, her eyes only widened when the polygon barrier deflected the projectile before Merle drew his gun on the Orimura shooting the concrete wall beside her making the experienced pilot move away expertly as Merle traced his gun at her, Madoka grinning almost predatory at the man who gave her a defiant look.

"You're holding back, I can see it. You don't want to kill me either." Madoka spoke confidently as Merle frowned deeply but nodded in reply, his head gesturing to the stadium where the chaos of the fight outside was going on much to the girl's confusion.

"Shall we go somewhere else, more quiet? I just want to talk right now." He said as Madoka chuckled at Merle's own antics, her gun still drawn on the man as she gave a taunting smirk.

"No."

"Come on, it'll be fun." Merle encouraged a bit cheekily as Madoka gave a sharp glare at him, the assistant teacher just sighed and put the gun back in his holster stunning the girl who simply kept the gun trained on him while she spoke her answer again.

"No."

"Seriously though, you're the actual sibling to Chifuyu and Ichika which means that my goal is now in my sights…though I did not expect the whole 'sibling went to the dark side thing'." Merle uttered in thought.

"Are you trying to jest during this time?" Merle looked at her and to her annoyance nodded in reply, an awkward smile on his face.

"YYYYesssss?" He said before a shot near his foot made the teacher jump as she brought the gun up to his face, Merle just holding his hands up in mock surrender as he figured he rather not remind her of his AIC bubble and blow her off suddenly as Madoka heard the clacking of footsteps coming from where the agents had run off, the assistant teacher sighing in annoyance as he rubbed a palm on his forehead muttering something incoherent before he suddenly ran towards the distracted girl, Madoka immediately bringing her head back as she prepared to fire before Merle slapped the gun to the wall twisting her hand as he did so to knock the weapon down grabbing the girl and broke into a run dragging the stunned Phantom Task operative with him.

"Get your filthy hand off mine!"

"Hey, hey, hey who's the one who has an AIC? Now keep running!" Merle shouted back at her as they ran out of the arena and into the park.

* * *

><p>Arena<p>

"Ichika!" Charles yelled as Ichika was thrown back onto the dirt, his IS suffering a critical hit in the ensuring clash with the gauntlet showing off cracks in the armor as blood began to drip down on the ground staining the dust as Ichika breathed heavily blood also running down from a cut at his forehead as Yukihira clattered to the floor, Ichika panting as his eyes caught sight of the indicator flaring red in front of him almost blindingly bright before the boy cursed inwardly.

"Damn it…I can't even beat it, am I that outmatched?" Ichika gritted his teeth as he used his uninjured limb to try and grab Yukihira but instead he felt the IS disappear, Ichika falling straight to the ground with his bleeding forearm full of cuts littering the skin before the arena was suddenly covered by several teachers who had activated their Infinite Stratos in response to the threat, surrounding the VT infected pilot with their weapons armed and pointed at the meta-warrior which simply stopped in its tracks not responding to the sudden appearance of its enemies, Ichika struggling to stand up straight as Charlotte came to his side her purple eyes looking with concern as she deactivated her own IS to kneel beside him.

"Ichika! Are you alright?!" Charlotte said to Ichika who was slowly getting up with a bitter look in his eyes as he turned to the French girl.

"Yes, I'm alright…but what about Laura? We have to get her out of whatever she is!"

"It's okay, Ichika the teachers are here. But the pilot doesn't seem to even be moving." Charles said as she turned her eyes upwards at the VT warrior standing deathly still before Ichika's thoughts raced, wondering how he could even beat the girl before an idea came to his head.

"Charles…I want to ask you something." The purple-eyed girl turned to Ichika who had a determined look on his face as he stared straight at Laura still trapped in the VT shell, the boy sensing a cry for help as he gritted his teeth.

"Can you give me one last chance to deal with Laura?"

"Ichika…" Charlotte began before she nodded, using her IS folded form to transfer the remaining energy straight into the boy surprising Ichika who gave a dumbfounded look at Charlotte who gave a cute smile in return making the boy blush, the two unknowingly watched by Houki who was clenching her fist at the sight but wondering why she felt such a pang of jealousy and rage…Charles was a guy! And from the last time she saw Ichika it was made clear to her that he wasn't the type to swing that way…but even so, Houki could not help but feel the surge of emotion briefly clouding her mind however she beat down the baseless feeling and wondered what Ichika was planning before she saw Ichika activate Byakushiki once again, his shield level rising past the critical level as the meta-warrior turned to see the male pilot rise again this time with a hardened glare on his face as he wasted no time in activating his first Shift and brought Yukihiria to bear on the VT pilot as the circle of teachers immediately retreated a safe distance before Ichika activated his Ignition Boost and Reiraku Byakuya as he charged straight at the meta-warrior who brought itself up defend against the attack.

"You're going down!" Ichika yelled out loud before he found his target, slashing at the warrior with full force as his shields went down to critical creating a bright light engulfing the two fighters.

* * *

><p>With Merle, Island Shore<p>

"Let me go!"

"Nope." Merle replied monotonously as he stopped at the specific place, taking the time to rest as he sat back on the grassy area overlooking the sea dropping Madoka to the floor beside him who was catching her breath from just being dragged around the whole time by him before she scrambled away from him, doing a partial activation to attack Merle but his voice stopped her abruptly.

"Sit down. We have a lot to talk about." He said as Madoka had a deep frown on her face, the refusal evident as she pointed her laser bits at the teacher who simply met her hateful gaze with his bleak misty eyes.

"I have a mission to retrieve the subject and I will not have you make fun of me any further! Now it's either you let me take you, or I bring your charred corpse to Squall…it's your choice." She sneered while Merle countered her jab with his own disarming smile, snapping his fingers to reveal to a stunned Madoka the very same bits of her Silent Zephyrus being constructed to face her in midair the teacher bringing out Laura's laser spear to bear at the girl who realized her odds were lowered as Merle still smiling at her patted the ground beside him.

"I said…**take a seat.**"

"You think that I have time to waste with a weak male like you?!" Madoka adamantly rejected him, firing her weapons as Merle did the same as the teacher rushing her under the cover of the smoke which the bits produced after firing at one another blowing each other up, Madoka smirking at the damage before a blur shot out form the dust cloud and appeared below her, his spear rushing to meet her face as Madoka froze unable to even believe that Merle could move so fast and trap her as she saw him giving her a death glare.

"I did say sit down, didn't I?" He said as Madoka simply stood still defying his order as Merle sighed, he was dealing with a hotheaded Chifuyu all over again as he let her stand.

"Why are you with Phantom Task?"

"…"

"Silent treatment huh? I can deal with that, so let me tell you a story. It starts with a very miserable boy being abandoned by his father…except he never left the home, he was creating his own hell for the boy in more sick ways than one." Merle began as Madoka lifted an eyebrow, the man pausing to look at her with a very offended glare.

"Hey take it easy little Miss. I want to shoot every living sod in sight. So let me just say this: the boy decided one day that he had enough, and after all the abuse and attempted rape which he would always refrain from and perform on his wife did the boy confront his father…and after pointing out he was nothing more than a child who was abused himself, the father took a knife and drove it into the boy's heart killing him."

"What's your point, Merle? Why should I care what this boy has to do with anything?" Merle just smiled as he gave the girl the softest look he could give at Madoka's face before he said the next few words.

"Because you feel abandoned by Chifuyu and Ichika, isn't it? That's what all this is about, you respect your sister but you feel abandoned and wish to take away Ichika…let him be the example to Chifuyu how it felt to have been taken away, how she failed to rescue you is that right?" Seeing Madoka's eyes widen at his words made Merle much more confident as he tapped his head with his fingers.

"I can read tells, you are full of revenge and sure you're committed but if you were so determined…why did you not try to confront Chifuyu directly and kill her now?"

"Shut up! You will never understand, who are you to judge what I plan to do and how I choose my path?!" Madoka yelled at Merle who took her words in without a hateful glance or even annoyance at her words, the man speaking with an image of the ambassador in his mind saying his piece.

_I dug my grave, Amasa_

"Because I believe that people like you deserve a chance to not dig your graves." He declared to Madoka who just chuckled at his words, her orange eyes flashing anger at him.

"You know nothing of me or my circumstances with Chifuyu long enough, Merle…"

"Trust me when I say I do know abandonment of family though violence and the path you even want to walk is dangerous and risky already…you are throwing your family away for selfish revenge against Chifuyu. What do you think she suffered, hell she most likely thinks that you are dead to her for what her parents did to her!" Merle explained as Madoka shook her head refusing to believe his words, clenching her fists at Merle who stared at her fiery orange eyes.

"She must suffer either way, who even cares what she thinks if I'm family or not!"

"I do care." Merle said affirmatively as Madoka felt herself get taken aback by this young man, Merle staring at her before he deactivated his laser spear and turned around beginning to walk away but called out to her from his back.

"I'll let you go, I won't tell Chifuyu that you came for me but I expect you to rethink your position. But know that since the government is on my tail…I expect the whole island to be filled with teachers and representatives looking for anomalies." Madoka couldn't even move, her orange eyes simply watching the young man turn away and walk from her…she shook her head gritting her teeth in confusion. She should be attacking him now, taking him to Squall for interrogation about the box that he carried and extract his secrets…this was the time to do it when his back is turned!

"Damn you…damn you, Merle." Madoka cursed the good-natured man as she turned around and transformed into her Silent Zephyrus flying away from the academy, her logical mind arguing with her emotional state as she glanced back to see Merle walking away from the shore before she brought up her communication line with Squall.

"M here, mission has failed…extraction was not possible with everyone on high alert, will be returning to base." Madoka transmitted her report as the line crackled to life.

"And the ambassador?"

"Dead, he shot himself before he was found out." Madoka spoke suppressing her rage at Merle for the moment as Squall let out a click of her tongue in annoyance at the loss.

"He was a valuable asset, it is a shame that he died so soon. Anyway, come on back to base and we'll discuss more of your own personal vendetta against Chifuyu Orimura."

"Understood, Squall." Madoka spat the words out with some venom as the line went dead, her mind going back to Merle's words as she clenched her teeth her visor hiding her seething anger at the young man's audacity to even leave her alive…he was going to regret that decision. One day she would get back at him for this humiliation, but Chifuyu was to be the first and then him.

"They will pay, all of them will pay." She promised herself as she sped off into the blue sky.

Meanwhile Merle was on the ground, his morals torn as he turned back to see the girl fly off into the distance making her own choice before Merle removed his gloves, going to a nearby park bench as he sat on the wooden seat burying his head in his hands.

"Well shit, Phantom Task has finally made me a criminal and now the academy is only going to get more flak for the next few years until I can prove that the information is all a phony." Merle muttered to himself, he could hear the horns of boats in the distance…no doubt the politicians had made their escape off of the academy grounds and hid in their embassies due to the fight as he left his head hanging over the bench rest, for the first time in months and a year he had found his mission but ended up being on the wrong side of the law the man scratched his head. Why couldn't he get an easy life for this?

"Well, if you want to…I can hack the German embassy files for you and erase the evidence." A female voice spoke out behind him catching the teacher off guard as he spun to see a purple-haired woman standing behind him with a bright smile and wearing a red short sleeved formal shirt with black jeans, the girl waving her hand at Merle in an exaggerated fashion.

"T-Tabane?"

* * *

><p>Minutes later<p>

"I see…I expected no less from a genius." He said as Tabane rapidly tapped her keys into the portable computer, Merle seeing the firewalls of the embassy go down in flames as Tabane reached the system and pulled out a folder bringing it to speed as she eyed the contents closely before she narrowed her eyes at the screen and bit her tongue.

"I found the file but there's something important to see." Merle just leaned his head further back.

"Yeah, when has that not happened to me since I got here?" Tabane giggled at his words as he looked over her shoulder staring at the screen ignoring the close contact to the science prodigy, Tabane blushing madly as she felt his breath down her exposed neck as she tried to control herself.

"Well, you see the fact is that before the ambassador died he sent off a notice saying that you as Anastasio Merle was guilty for several actions serving the purpose of Phantom Task under the name 'Amasa'…coincidentally there was someone who shared the same name as you and he supposedly died after he led a Phantom Task team to capture several Russian IS suits still in development."

"Crap."

"The good news is that I already extracted the folder and all copies from the German government to my laptop so now I can delete them altogether." Tabane said as she deleted the copies, letting Merle breathe a sigh of relief as he sank back to his position.

"Well glad that's over. Thanks for saving me from a whole lot of trouble with the whole thing." He said as Tabane nodded, closing her screen as she minimized the portable computer into her bracelet before she looked at the teacher with a slightly worried face.

"I wouldn't be too sure, Phantom Task still has more people working in higher places that they can leak information about you and this other Merle you have been tagged as…but for now you can relax."

"You sure made it sound so trivial didn't you, Tabane?" Merle said with a sweatdrop at her warning as Tabane simply folded her arms into a cute pout, looking away from Merle and at the sky.

"Well sorry for being such a helpful person, I mean you did promise me on a date…" Merle twitched an eyebrow remembering the last time they met, the teacher letting out an awkward cough as he shifted slightly away from her while he did so noticing the change in wardrobe for the bunny-loving girl.

"You look…great, I see you took my advice to heart." Tabane nodded with a bright smile.

"Of course, how could I screw up my first date ever?"

"Well, I won't say you'll screw it up…but I wasn't aware that the day was today." He commented as Tabane shook her head in reply.

"Nope, I heard the commotion so I came here as quickly as I could. Looks like I was needed after all."

"Hmm, I owe you my thanks." He said in passing as Tabane got up patting her shirt before she turned to walk away for the second time, Merle immediately running after her with a frown on his face joining the bunny girl to the island shore in silence.

"…"

"I saw you met Madoka." The science prodigy said first as Merle didn't even bat an eyelash at that, closing his eyes and scratched his head in a moment of habit before Tabane moved his arm down to his side snapping Merle back to reality.

"Ah, her…I wasn't expecting to see her so soon." He said absent-mindedly before he quickly corrected himself. "I mean that I was not anticipating any run-ins with her or even a third Orimura no less."

"Hmm. I'll forget that you said that and move on, so do you know what happened to their family? How it came to be that the siblings were separated due to their parents?" Merle couldn't answer to Tabane's questions, though the tone of her voice suggested that even as a prodigy and genius, Tabane Shinonono wasn't as close to the Orimuras herself despite close relations. The words were questions, genuine ones that asked if an explanation could be said to understand the situation that was present in front of him…but she would be disappointed.

"Nothing, I figured you might have heard the entire conversation?"

"Yes."

"Well then you should know that all that stuff I said about the family, I was just making it up. I had the feeling that I should come up with something and make some of my suspicions known but she hardly showed emotion and the cloak covered her body language so I couldn't tell what was what. But her eyes did widen and I'm trying to find out what it was that affected her, what could have triggered that reaction." Merle explained his actions to the prodigy, who simply took the words to memory as she looked to the sea.

"So why release her? You could have taken her in, the glove was made for protection against those dangerous projectiles for a reason you know."

"Because she won't listen, and I couldn't do it. Capturing her would have not changed anything and she would have escaped by some other method…Phantom Task isn't your typical shadowy organization." Merle said as Tabane nodded trusting the decision he made.

"Although I would have captured her, it was your decision. But know that Madoka already has her sights on you, she will kill you too." Tabane warned the teacher who just shrugged at that statement, his eyes carrying a sense of burden to them as he gave an uncharacteristic grin.

"Good, saves me the trouble of finding her and making her see some sense."

* * *

><p>Evening time, Infirmary hours after the VT system was destroyed<p>

"Mmm…" Laura stirred from her bed as she opened her eye, her mind still hazy from what happened after she had been defeated by Ichika and Charles as she blinked trying to rid her eye of the double vision.

"Oh good, you're awake." A familiar voice made her turn her head left seeing Chifuyu looking over her from her seat, a small smile on her face as Laura tried to sit up instead found that she couldn't move any of her limbs and exhaustion seemed to bog her down.

"You just woke up, no need to try and be so quick about getting up."

"Chifuyu-sama…" Chifuyu had to sigh at that term, seems like even that battle hasn't even lowered her view of her at all.

"I told you not to call me that. Besides, you are alive and well aren't you? The VT system…" Those words made Laura confused as she gave her former teacher a questioning look before Chifuyu clarified for her. "The government put a Valkyrie Trace system to replace your core, however it seems that Ichika managed to cut through it and save you without so much of a scratch though he's lying in another ward right now…he's just lucky he's even alive from that fighting."

"They did what? How…"

"Doesn't matter, the core will have its virus deactivated and you can have your Regen back soon." Chifuyu said in assurance to Laura who relaxed, glad that she could have such a dangerous system removed from her before she turned her attention to Chifuyu with another question in mind.

"And Ichika?"

"Oh? Are you that interested in my little brother, or is there something else I should know about?" Chifuyu said slyly making Laura choke on her question as she shook her head rapidly making the older woman laugh, rising from her seat as her purpose was finished walking towards the exit before she stopped remembering something.

"Laura." The name seemed to ring in the soldier's ear as she looked at her mentor. "You can't even become me, so don't try…be Laura Bodewig, and find your own identity just like Ichika told you to. That's why he's strong, ne?" Chifuyu finished before she walked away, closing the door behind her as she walked down the hallway her eyes catching sight of Merle walking into the hallway covered in small blood spatters on his knee and staining his shirt, the tired man staring straight at her as concern filled her thoughts the woman found herself taking long strides towards him and without question threw her arms around him her head in his shoulder as Merle stared blankly at her.

"Merle…thank goodness are you alright? I've been looking for you for hours!" She said unaware of the events at the shoreline while Merle gave a ghost of a smile at her, his arms reaching behind her back and stroked her with tender care the tracing of his fingers making her shiver involuntarily. But the next words she heard from his mouth were the ones she never wanted to hear from anyone, Merle's blank look staring right at the hallway as he spoke with a cold voice.

"Chifuyu. We need to talk again soon, I know about Madoka."

* * *

><p>Night time, cafeteria<p>

"Wow! This is great!" Ichika said as he ate with Charles in the cafeteria, enjoying the meal together as the boy chewed through the food the battle exhausting all his energy reserves while Charles ate slowly careful not to choke on her own food. Meanwhile he heard mummers and disappointed sighs coming from the entrance to the cafeteria as he took a sidelong glance, the sight frightening him so much he even dropped the pair of chopsticks he held. Standing in a large crowd with their mouths drooling and a purple haze coating the atmosphere around the happy duo with gloom, first-years all the way to the seniors were making their presence known as whispers and hushed chatter making Ichika feel a shiver down his back as he immediately erased their presence from his mind and continued to eat.

"Uh, Ichika…why are the girls looking at us so strangely from afar?"

"Didn't see them, didn't hear them, and I don't want to know at all." Ichika said firmly as he pushed their whispers from his mind still feeling the shivers though.

"Oh there you are, Ichika! Charles!" The sound of Yamada's voice drew both of their attention to the other entrance where the green-haired teacher was, walking over to their table as Ichika gave a greeting to her.

"Yamada-sensei! What's going on, is Laura okay?"

"She is recovering nicely and should have her IS by the next day, our academy seniors are removing the virus as we speak and also because of the interruption of the fight we are just going to forget the tournament and go back to lessons…also just to inform you that we'll postpone studies until the late morning at 11, but we'll end the same time as any other day!"

"That's great, Merle's influence?" Ichika asked politely as Yamada nodded.

"Yup, he said you all deserved a break along with the teachers and representatives and to make it better the headmaster even agreed."

"That's good to hear…today really is a good day!" He said as Yamada sighed in bliss about her mornings not being rushed for a day before she snapped out of her delusions.

"Oh and by the way you guys need to finish your meals, quickly as I have to escort you two to the baths." She said as Ichika suddenly choked on his food, confusing Yamada but making Charles blush beet red at the mention of the baths.

"Wait, what?"

The baths (wait, I should have wrote later)

"Ah, this is great! Should I turn around though Charles?" Ichika said sparing a thought for the girl who was just entering the bath, a towel wrapped around her body as she walked into the steaming hot pool of water throwing her towel to the side as she absentmindedly went right next to Ichika who was unaware of the scare he was going to receive before he heard a splash.

"Charles? Hey Charles what's going-OH MY GOD!" He screamed as he turned around seeing Charles without her towel standing next to him completely naked and exposed to him as the maturing boy felt his bulge tighten in his boxers before he immediately tried to think of IS theories to stop the swelling, his eyes closed in reflex and his arms flew in front of him like a shield as he retreated.

"CHARLES! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" He said as Charles looked at him puzzled by his reaction before he pointed down, the girl suddenly realizing he was pointing at her body as she instantly covered her breasts from his view.

"Ichika no ecchi."

"What did I even do!" Ichika exclaimed to himself before he turned, Charles giggling a bit at his antics as she left some space between them Ichika turning around to face the wall as he soaked in the bath.

"…"

"…"

Silence, it was the most peaceful thing that humans want aside from peaceful environments…a way to express a time of reflection and personal space, however in this case it was not that kind of peaceful silence but that of a cat gagged by the throat…well you get the idea.

"Charles, I want to thank you." Ichika began first as Charles found her thoughts interrupted after the fifteen minutes they have been in here.

"E-Eh? But I didn't do anything special Ichika, I just gave you the power to defeat the VT and save Laura."

"But if you haven't then the teachers would have done it the only way they knew how, and I didn't want that for Laura…besides she wanted to be saved, I had to protect her when I realized that she was in pain too." Ichika replied nobly, Charles feeling her heart skip a beat at his reasons for doing so as she felt the warm feeling of butterflies in her body again.

"That's noble of you, Ichika…typical of a knight and a gentleman." She complimented Ichika who just shook his head.

"It wasn't that noble, it was common sense." He said as he didn't hear Charles move up behind him while he was speaking with her, the girl genuinely having a smile.

"Common sense to save others with compassion, you are like a knight…a white knight." She said as she made her move, throwing her arms around his chest from behind in a hug feeling Ichika stumble a little bit as he felt her breasts push against his back this time without clothes to restrict their contact before his hormones kicked in again, Ichika only could stutter as he felt her push further into him cutting off his words.

"C-Ch-Charles…"

"Char." She said softly in his ear as Ichika felt his cheeks and ears go red, the alluring voice making his knees go weak.

"W-What?"

"That's my name, Charlotte but 'Char' will do if it's just you." She said as Ichika felt his libido shoot sky high, his self-control saving him from going over the edge as he gritted his teeth trying to stay calm as the IS theories from class began to step in, Ichika's hot blush from her innocent voice receded somewhat as he felt the urge going away.

"O-Okay, Char." Charlotte felt joy at his acceptance, the girl smiling to herself as she leaned on the boy's back snuggling her face in his hair smelling a hint of mango on him making her blush.

"You smell nice, Ichika." She said with wonder as she stroked his hair, Ichika feeling himself shiver at her contact before he felt his defenses crumble slowly at her ministrations-

"What, are you guys doing?" Ichika suddenly felt his world go dark, an oppressive aura suddenly appearing from behind the two students as he and Charles turned their heads around to see the one person they never wanted to see with a camera in hand and the widest smile that a human could ever give.

"M-M-Merle-sensei…"

"M-Merle! It's not what it looks like-"

"Oho? Is it not Charlotte Dunois cuddling up to the male pilot in the baths, a steamy place where you can get really hot and bothered in here?" He said with a growing smile, the innocent face too plastic to even be called real as the camera loomed in front of the two students who were now afraid of the assistant teacher.

"What's wrong? Aren't you two going to say something?"

"M-M-Merle…you're not going to take a picture of us, are you?" Ichika dreadfully asked the teacher who then looked innocently at his camera pointing a finger to the device.

"Oh, you mean this camera right here?" He said sweetly. He was playing with them, he was honestly enjoying this juicy torment of the two students Ichika thought with a bucket full of sweat pouring down his face Charlotte doing the same.

"M-Mmm." Ichika and Charlotte stared worriedly at him as a mental clock ticked inside of their heads, the two students unable to stop the teacher if he took a picture and ran out of here…but the worst of it was if he did show it to Chifuyu, that made Ichika's panic levels rise through the roof of the baths.

"…"

"…"

"Charlotte Dunois." Merle spoke with a harsh tone as Charlotte quickly released her grip on Ichika as a serious frown came to Merle's face, the man observing the girl with intensity that it made the blonde French girl go red from embarrassment and shame at being caught by the guardian of Ichika before Merle said two simple words.

"I approve." The teacher said before all tension and the air halted, the two students staring in utter shock and surprise at his declaration before Merle put down the camera and headed outside, stunning the two pilots who were then left alone in the baths unable to move or even speak before they heard the click of the door, Ichika being the first to speak breaking the silence.

"What…just happened?"

End

Author's Notes: HAHHAHHAHAH, oh my god I'm sorry…I gotta breathe….HAHHAHAHA, this is the best thing I think I've written so far! I am going to actually deal with the ending of the arc next chapter, I will it's just that I rather end this here because this is honestly going to be the best damn thing ever!

To be honest guys, if I had to choose who to pair our dear hero up with I would choose Charlotte she is honestly not one of those teases like Katana or a person who has hero worship (Katana Sarashiki's sister), she is genuinely nice so I gave her a little advantage for this story. I am guessing you guys know who the major players are going to be…and the chapters only get longer and possibly rougher from here.

I also added the introduction of Madoka, because a new conflict arises and I want Merle to have a good look of what he's facing, and the whole rant about family was yes, stating possible theories. If you guys have your own theories why Madoka wants her sister killed do tell me…I would like to hear your own thoughts.

Anyways, this is the VI signing off!


	19. Rest, A Face That's Dead, more Secrets

IS Valkyrie

Author's Notes: I am utterly stoked for the year that is coming for chances to study and do all the great things in life! While I suck on my lovely thumbs I present to you guys the next IS Valkyrie I want to clarify something.

That scene in the baths was just Merle approving of the relationship, nothing else cause that's what I do…not make my characters into actual grown pervs but I can see how that one liner could be interpreted openly.

Note that there is a break between the arcs and this is the break, cause everyone gets sick and tired of stuff happening.

Now that I clarified it let's get this show on!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Infinite Stratos universe.

* * *

><p>Phantom Task<p>

Squall sat in her chair facing Madoka who was already feeling the wave of tension rolling off the older woman as the elegantly dressed lady stared hard at Madoka drinking her alcohol with grace before she placed the cup on the table sitting between the two while an orange-haired woman dressed in black with her hair tied in a tomboy fashion stood beside Squall folding her arms glaring the whole time at the younger girl since the Orimura sat down.

"So, that's all of it then? You couldn't catch or even remote catch up to Merle?"

"No there were too many representatives and teachers that a tactical retreat was best." Madoka said before she was cut off by the orange-haired woman who snorted at the girl's incompetence.

"Heh, typical of you to say that when you blatantly failed." The woman rebutted before Madoka turned to address the haughty woman with a glare.

"I am not so stupid to charge in and believe I can beat all the representatives at once, Autumn though I would appreciate it if you are so willing to try it out for me." Madoka retorted as Autumn felt her cool burn off quickly, the woman about to reach for her sidearm in a moment of reckless anger but Squall intervened before the two women could even get physical with each other.

"Enough, that is enough out of the two of you or I will have to resort to physical methods to ensure you both stop bickering. Is there anything else I should know, what the ambassador said? Did he leak something out about us or maybe an advantage against Merle?"

"I'm not sure if it is useful, but when I was tailing the man the ambassador called him by another name." Madoka revealed to Squall as the blonde-haired woman now found her boorish interest piqued.

"Is that so?"

"The name is Amasa." At that mention of the name, Squall felt her world crash the atmosphere of the room suddenly went cold as Autumn too recoiled back in shock as Madoka looked at the two women with renewed interest in where the conversation would go, the orange-haired operative speaking to Squall first.

"S-Squall-sama, that name Amasa…!"

"Mm, it seems that even fate has brought an old face to the fore. I was wondering why that man looked so familiar, but why did the ambassador try to hide that fact from me?" Squall began to wonder as her mind raced through her memory to retrieve his profile.

Amasa, he was the man in charge of one of Phantom Task's leading squads but after a botched attempt to capture Russian IS cores or suits from a factory district, he was forced into a corner of one of the cliffs and without hesitation shot his temple and fell into the icy waters below. That's what the squad said in their report, he was assumed dead and classified as MIA despite of the status but Squall always had suspicions about Amasa other than the fact he was a male he was probably the youngest killer she ever recruited showing that he could make use of himself and was even praised by the German ambassador for his ruthless ways, he was a man of instinct and good decisions…a useful tool for IS collection until that mission. When she was first introduced the young man had lost any shine in his eyes, the emotions nearly killed or suppressed from her…and it was just how she wanted her best tools to be, sharpened and dangerous all the same but over time she noticed he was getting considerably more emotional and sometimes she stumbled on him muttering incoherent thoughts and drawing up sketches, one which came to mind were two sketches of him side by side and he uttered one line over and over again.

**He is coming**

She didn't know what it meant, but she sent investigators to find out where the rest of his family was but found absolutely nothing about it except the fact that he was mentally unstable and visited a hospital to check on his mental state, finding out he had PTSD from a situation concerning his family.

"Seems like he is back, and you know what that means." Squall spoke to the others as Madoka simply kept silent before the older woman noted her stare.

"Amasa was a brilliant leader, he had concern for his men and mental problems in fact he was the least known member of Phantom Task and was forgettable." Squall clarified as she drank her glass, placing it on the table.

"He was recruited I think around your age, doing messenger duties for 3 years before we gave him military training and he passed before a mission to command a squad was presented to him. He took the mission and came back alive and with respect of his men, that's just how good he is."

"He did similar missions, but soon he became increasingly unstable and was sent for a final mission in Russia. To be honest I didn't expect him to live…now he's alive and in the academy no less." Squall finished her story as she tossed the empty cup on the table scattering droplets of red wine on the tablecloth, her face turning to a scowl as Madoka looked in surprise at her superior slowly losing her temper. "However now this is good, him being alive means he has more value with his box…whatever it is, we'll make our move soon so rest up M, Autumn. We have plans to make, and I want you two at your best and whatever you do…do not take Amasa lightly."

"Yes, Squall." Both females said before each went their own way, leaving Squall to deal with the tension in her muscles as she gritted her teeth.

"Amasa…"

* * *

><p>The next morning, 11am, class 1-A<p>

"Are you sure you want to do this, Charlotte? Not that I'm biased against you being the 2nd male pilot to keep Ichika some 'forced' company…" Merle said as Charlotte before she shook her head, the girl adjusting the female academy uniform particularly at the short skirt to which Merle looked down with some distaste at how much skin the piece was threatening to show, the man dressed in a light blue shirt with short sleeves and a black tie a rarity in his wardrobe which he wore on a whim while wearing dark three-quarter pants with dark sports shoes.

"Honestly, to have a perverted man as a uniform staff…hope he gets the hint about letting girls wear mini-skirts." He said as he recalled what happened earlier at the tailor's and the lecture he gave about how girls should show some decency making Charlotte laugh at his actions, she had come to see Merle as a father figure more than a brother and age difference being off by 5 years didn't actually help when Charlotte was honest about the way she treated him and the unwanted glares he got from some of the teachers, it took a laughing Chifuyu to actually help him clarify the situation with them. Speaking of Chifuyu…

"You're worried about her, aren't you?" Merle turned back to Charlotte who had a worried expression as the teacher gave a sigh.

"Admittedly, yes I do…she and I haven't spoken much ever since I uttered that name. She just brushed off the subject and refused to speak about it, something adamant to keep to herself." Merle said with concern as he remembered how she fell to silence unable to speak to him about it, in fact it was the first time that the assistant teacher even remembered seeing Chifuyu so conflicted about something that she retreated into her shell refusing to come clean about it. Merle had left it alone for now, but found that the issue was pushing them apart slowly until one of them eventually gave in…he secretly hoped he wouldn't lose her to such a family secret.

"What name?"

"It's nothing, I am trying to deal with her the best I can but it seems that even my own charisma is not going to get any answers or persuasion points from her…it's nothing to be concerned with Charlotte I am still alright, just troubled."

"That's the same as worrying." Charlotte pointed out as Merle did a double take and laughed.

"So it is. Anyways I think that's the signal, ready to re-introduce yourself?" The teacher said as he peaked into the door seeing Yamada gesture to the door as he slid it open for Charlotte giving her an encouraging glance.

"Go on at your own time." He said as Charlotte gave him a quiet 'thank you' brushing past him politely as she stepped into her classroom to a chorus of gasps and mutters of confusion and shock at her new appearance and the revelation of her gender, Charlotte bowing slightly and politely for the second time in the semester her smile still radiant as before.

"My name is Charlotte Dunois…nice to meet you all again." She said before she took her seat beside Ichika much to the utter shock of Houki who was beginning to sputter at the truth about Charlotte's façade before she felt the surge of jealous rage once again, the girl clenching a fist at her new competition as Laura sat near the back of the class her face not betraying any emotion other than her nails digging into her palms as she saw Charlotte give Ichika a bright smile, the soldier planning her next move as the whispers turned to full out chatter amongst the female students.

"Eh? So Charles was just a disguise all along?"

"Hey that's not funny, I actually wanted to take a girl out on a date!"

"That means Ichika is still for the taking, correct?"

"Gods, the chatter is getting on my nerves…" Chifuyu rubbed her temple in frustration, she had just gotten back to teaching the classes after four day offs and now this was what she received in return for all that relaxation and leaving the students in the care of her two assistants, looks like they were slacking in terms of behavior…her mind planning some more exercises for the students to get their discipline into shape before she caught wind of a certain student who was gossiping above the chatter.

"Hey wait a minute, yesterday I heard that Yamada-sensei was at the cafeteria and she was asking Charles and Ichika to move to the baths which were allotted for only the two of them."

"I also heard that Merle-sensei got invited too…"

"What?" Chifuyu turned to glance at Merle who had his hands behind his back whistling a seemingly innocent tune before he noticed her questioning gaze, the man stopped his action as he let out a dying sound in his throat making the older Orimura narrow her eyes as she walked up to him with a menacing glare.

"U-Uh, Chifuyu are you feeling okay?" Merle just stuttered as the woman didn't respond, grabbing the poor young man by the black tie hanging around his neck over his blue short sleeved shirt making him yelp as she walked towards the door dragging the teacher in tow outside the classroom and down the hallway, muttering incoherent promises of explanation out of the young man as the door slid shut behind them leaving the class alone as their chatter was cut short. Ichika suddenly felt a chill down his spine, the ominous feeling he always got when something was about to happen concerning him as he shivered immediately going with his instincts and looked around for a hiding spot before he moved under his desk the class hearing a sudden clatter of a desk from the other side of the wall before the door to class 1-A suddenly slid open violently as to the class' horror was an IS with a very angry Chinese pilot with yandere eyes.

"Ichika! Where are you, come out and talk to me…Ichika!" The girl sang as she walked over to Ichika's desk, Charlotte even finding herself backing off from the girl as the male pilot decided to take his chances of dealing with the problem, the boy ducking out of his desk and headed to the window as he threw his hands out in front of him hoping someone would save him.

"Wait, Rin I didn't even do anything to her! I can explain!"

"Take this!" Rin yelled ignoring his pleading as the boy saw the air cannon fire right in front of him as he felt his luck slip through his fingers, the boy yelling out to the sky one more time.

"Why is this happening to me?!" He said as he closed his eyes, expecting to be launched out of the school building before the light disappeared as quickly as it appeared Ichika feeling only a breeze that blew at his face but other than that…

"Huh? I'm not dead?" He said as he opened his eyes to full see what had happened to the attack, catching a glimpse of a silver-haired pilot in a black IS suit standing right in front of him using her AIC to cancel the attack thrown at him, saving him from a painful fate as he felt relief come to him like a wave.

"Oh thank you, Laura…thank you!" He said before Laura spun around, lifting the boy up as he thanked her and without warning or even a word brought him to her face bringing her lips to cover his as she kissed him roughly, Ichika was left unable to even react as he felt her tongue slide in trying to twist with his own while Houki, Cecilia, Rin and Charlotte all had gaping mouths and surges of anger and jealousy combined into their expressions as Laura placed him down her expression red.

"You…are going to be my husband, this isn't a negotiation!"

"What?!" Ichika suddenly screamed, while in the teacher's lounge something else was happening there as well and it wasn't that good for Merle either as a girly scream came out from the room scaring the nearby staff members who retreated away from the room covered in malicious aura.

"You dare tell me that you let them just bathe there together?!" Chifuyu's voice yelled at Merle who just covered his head taking in the clipboard smashes which had intensified by then, the teacher continuing to bash Merle who just took his punishment in full.

"Okay, it was a mistake I'm sorry for making your protective instincts activate! I'm sorry, I will make sure that I do not forget such a mistake again!" He promised as Chifuyu lifted the clipboard over his head her expression still hostile to him before he gave a weak smile.

"I promise."

"*sigh* Merle, I know you don't condone such a thing but pay attention to such things next time." Chifuyu reprimanded the teacher who breathed out in relief when he saw her clipboard withdraw back to her chest, Merle nodding his head committing a note to improve his situational awareness before she turned to walk out of the door.

"Let's get back to class before Yamada loses her head and turns to jelly." Chifuyu said with a smile as she closed the door behind her, Merle left sitting on the couch as he took a deep breath in when he saw her face.

"Yep, she's still avoiding the subject."

* * *

><p>Evening, Merle's room<p>

"Well glad everything went smoothly." Merle expressed his relief and joy at the end of the day, Chifuyu not responding to the man's words as she went to her bed taking out a new set of clothes to change into while Merle simply took a new set instantly to the bathroom turning his head back to the room.

"Chifuyu I'll be going into the bathroom to change so don't walk in on my beautiful body covered in holy water!" He announced to her before he went in and closed the door, moving into bathroom. The bathrooms for the teachers were actually rather spacious aside from the changing area where the sink resides was actually a bath tub that sat just to the left of the sink shrouded by a glass sliding door, and a shower box was opposite the sink which was stuffed in when they learnt a male teacher was coming to stay the additional shower provided a suitable habitat for him while the toilet was beside the shower box near the main door in a separate slightly spacious room.

"Time for the best shower ever, one to cool off all that heat I accumulated." Merle said as he undressed and stepped into the shower, tossing his used clothes in the laundry basket and turned on the showerhead letting the warm water wash him as he picked up the soap and began to scrub himself down.

"Merle, I want to ask you something now!" The bathroom door opened as Merle suddenly felt himself gag on his saliva the teacher experiencing a coughing fit as he tried to process her words, had she not heard what he just said about him bathing right now?

"C-Can it wait?!" He said but it was too late as he saw Chifuyu walking into the changing area before he opened the shower box door, sticking his head out so that she did not have to rip open his shower box door to get his attention Merle already feeling uncomfortable having her do the same thing to him after that one time he walked in while she was bathing.

"Chifuyu please I just want some priva-cy…" He trailed off as Chifuyu turned to the shower box the man having a good look at her before his mouth fell open, the sight stunning him completely as his mind shut down unable to even complete his thoughts. Standing in front of his vision with an arm going under her breasts and grabbing her elbow in a vulnerable manner, was Chifuyu dressed in nothing but a black bikini two piece set her hair untied and left to spread down her back her orange eyes meeting with Merle's own roaming eyes who took her appearance in appreciation, the teacher blinked twice before he held up a palm to give him a minute as his hand went to the shower temperature and without a second thought set it to cold, the man satisfied that he was feeling the heat receding from his body poked his head back out to see the woman still standing there waiting for his opinion.

"Hola my beautiful magnificent angel…" He commented as Chifuyu turned her head sideways, her blush spreading all over her face as she gripped her elbow tighter giving him a sidelong glance seeing him nod appreciatively before he gave her a pair of thumbs up.

"You seriously going to tease me like this, 'cause if you are…you should know you are doing a really good job." He said whistling at Chifuyu who just felt her embarrassment turn to joy and pleasure at seeing his reaction, the teacher turning back to him with a sly grin.

"Glad to see you enjoy the view."

"Oh yeah, 'cause I can see everything now with that view. The piece really hugs your curves, the way I like them." He said with a sly grin of his own, Chifuyu just laughed at his words before she turned to leave calling out at Merle as she did so.

"That's for payback from last time." Merle just shook his head at her remark before he smiled, at least she was less tense and trying to spend some time with him…so far as he could tell from her action just now, the teacher breathing a sigh of relief that she closed the door behind her as he turned the temperature back to warm giving him some comfort as he went back to bathing.

"I just forgot I was going to invite them to town in order to take her and Ichika out to lunch." He said as he mentally noted that detail down in his head, the man finishing his bath shortly after putting on some casual clothes and walked out of the bathroom a towel in hand.

"Chifuyu, are you coming to eat dinner with me at the cafeteria?" He asked as Chifuyu came out from her side of the room in just a white formal shirt and black skirt with her flat shoes and no stockings, tying her hair up in a tail as she nodded.

"I was about to wait for you to go down myself, I'll bathe after the meal."

"Whatever you say, honey." Merle said as Chifuyu felt her eyebrow twitch involuntarily at the memory that accompanied that particular word as the two young adults exited the room walking down the hallway in silence, the two unsure of what to say to one another before Chifuyu broke the silence.

"Merle, I am sorry I can't talk about my family to you."

"It's alright, you made it **rather clear **to me what you thought of me barging in on the subject." Merle said with a shrug unintentionally biting at her as she flinched at his words, carrying on with what she wanted to say to him.

"I just can't, I'm sorry but right now you have to trust me about this. Madoka is serious business, if you run into her the best is to just run the other way…even if you do have the adequate protection from Tabane I know that she is out there waiting for a chance."

"But what did you even do to her? I don't see a reason why she would hate you enough to kill." Merle said as Chifuyu shrugged, her expression in a very upset frown as they walked down to the hallway filled with the student dorms on either side. Merle kept quiet, letting her have her space to think but he already knew her answer from the day before…true to his word he had not told her how he acquired the information instead tagging it on the ambassador as the one who spilled the beans on a third sibling, instead he was saving it when Madoka finally showed up again which he suspected was not long.

"How did the ambassador know about it?"

"I forgot to mention that part, but the ambassador was actually a member of Phantom Task so…the info is legit." Merle said informatively as Chifuyu groaned rubbing her forehead again.

"Why is it that Ichika and sometimes you attract the most unwanted attention both in my life and school at the same time?"

"Well excuse me hot and sexy, I hoped I didn't offend your thoughts on how things should be." He said jokingly as Chifuyu blushed at his words, again shaking off her thoughts and images of 'revenge' she was cooking in her head as the two made it to the cafeteria hearing some chatter from behind the doors as they opened it and walked inside.

Most of the students had already left for bed or free time, the cafeteria only having very few students particularly seniors who were in their last year here enjoying their meals and lingering around for extended periods of time.

"Well looks like we can find a booth, eat together…kiss." He suggested kindly as Chifuyu gave a smile at those suggestions but her face changed quickly when she noticed a familiar sight opposite them at one of the booths, the older Orimura giving a chuckle.

"Looks like little brother has his hands full with all those girls, and it seems that Laura joined in too." Chifuyu commented with small glee while Merle simply sighed looking at the five girls that swarmed him at the table, trading snarky comments and giving glares while Ichika tried his best to calm them down.

"You know that he has to choose, he can't sit there all day expecting not to know what he already knows soon and it will come to him…you know, that particular question?" He said as Chifuyu just gave another sigh gesturing to her brother with a palm, the two getting their food from the cafeteria staff whom they both smiled and thanked making their way to Ichika's table with slow deliberate steps.

"I can't say for certain but even when the time comes, who do you approve of?"

"Charlotte and possibly Houki, but as for Rin and Cecilia they are both like people who fall into the background and the latter's motivations aren't exactly firm grounds for liking a boy and as for Rin I do not see her temper improving much myself, she's from another class and outside of my jurisdiction. Plus I don't do interfering into my student's lives too much…hell Houki still hasn't told me of her problem with her sister but she's doing well so far in terms of coping and if they want to talk, they'll talk."

"But Laura…what about her chances, or what do you think, of her personally?" Merle simply gave a glance at her and a raised eyebrow.

"Do you have to ask?"

"Hmm, no I don't." Chifuyu said simply as she walked up to Ichika going into her 'teacher' mode as she announced her presence.

"Hey, Ichika."

"Oh, Chifuyu-sensei!" Ichika said respectfully while the girls greeted the two teachers as well, Chifuyu just gave a smile making Ichika relax as she placed her food on the table in the next booth Merle already moving to the booth to eat his late dinner.

"Right now there aren't many of us, so the 'Onee-san' is appreciated." Chifuyu said almost nonchalantly as Ichika found his mind being boggled by his sister's actions once again unsure of what she wanted before the woman turned to the table of girls swarming his sides.

"So just what's going on here, girls…keeping my brother company huh?" Chifuyu asked as innocently as she could the woman deviously smiling inside as she saw the girls fluster and try to hide their purpose for accompanying the only male pilot to his dinner, Chifuyu then moving in on Laura who was obviously blushing like mad and the weak link as the teacher made her move.

"So, I heard an incident came on while we were talking in the teacher's lounge while I was berating our dear teacher for not adhering to protocols regarding gender…and I heard you did something to my little brother. Mind telling me about that whole incident Laura…in detail?" Chifuyu spoke with a stern voice making Laura shiver uncomfortably when she looked up at her idol who was folding her arms while looking upon her making the silver-haired girl sweat profusely.

"Well?"

"H-He…I…" Laura began to stutter her words lost on her as Chifuyu broke into a slight smile.

"You're pretty daring, to kiss my brother in class without my own permission or to do so behind my back. Knowing me, what do you think is going to happen next…Laura?" Chifuyu slyly said while Merle joined in from his booth, still in the middle of his meal.

"To be brutally honest, Laura I give you A+ for actually doing what the others couldn't. That and also…Ichika, aren't you supposed to be taking a certain someone out for a date?"

"Huh? Hey the interpretation was off, I was supposed to take out Houki if I won!" Ichika said with much insistence, his mind tiring of dealing with the sudden illusions the girls came up with of whoever won dated him it was too much for the boy's mind that he had to explain it multiple times to ward off the women who swarmed him for it, and fangirls were not a pretty sight. The girls who heard that clarification immediately dropped their smiles of pretense all shooting a glare except for Charlotte who was busy with her private thoughts and only gave the Japanese girl a challenging glance, Houki feeling her cheeks redden to a small degree before she nodded in shyness.

"Is that right, so now that no one can win the tournament…are you thinking of taking anyone out then? Maybe even let Houki have her wish, or something along the lines of it?" Merle pointed out for Ichika, hoping the clueless boy would at least get this hint right as the girls picked up on the teacher's message and then turned their attention to Ichika who was stunned for a moment, Houki even had a hopeful look on her face at the prospect of him actually considering taking one of them out as the male pilot began to put a finger to his lip.

"Someone to take out, huh…but I promised Houki only on the condition if I won-"

"Goodness gracious, you really don't get it do you?" Merle brought a hand to his head while Chifuyu simply shrugged her shoulders already expecting such a result while Houki also sighed muttering about her hopes being too high for Ichika to even get the hint, the other girls having similar reactions as they all sighed together in unison each of them disappointed.

"Man, Ichika you are dense." Rin said rubbing her temples as Ichika now had a truly confused look on his face at their reactions, his innocence not registering the remarks while Cecilia folded her arms.

"Ichika I care for you but this kind of common sense and instinct…"

"Ichika is truly a man who can't see anything else outside of fighting, huh?" Houki joined in the roast fest while Ichika continued to let out more 'huh?'s and question marks in his mind, Merle and Chifuyu both shrugged at each other unable to even sort out what was running in the boy's own feelings or brain, Chifuyu leaving the boy to deal with his problem while Merle simply continued to eat his meal in renewed silence enjoying the roast fest behind him as Chifuyu sat opposite him, her eyebrow raised.

"Was it worth it-"

"Yes, yes it was." Merle said without hesitation as Chifuyu shook her head, her thoughts coming back to her again as she meditated on the words they exchanged beforehand making her worry. Madoka was a figment of the past, someone who shouldn't be spoken of at least to her concerning her parents and Madoka herself…to have the ambassador now involve Merle in her family business was troublesome and it won't be long before her boyfriend asked more questions. She saw it in the lounge, his desire to find out the truth was strong and overwhelming and while she loved him for his own determination and not backing down to others standing his ground, she felt that this time it wasn't a matter of simply talking or opening up about it.

"I cannot believe it…"

"Huh?"

"Sorry, I was thinking about the ambassador. There was something else, in his eyes I saw something like recognition and I couldn't believe what I saw…the whole situation was so confusing, but how did he turn out like this? I don't even understand." Merle said as he clanked down his cup of water on the tray, careful not to spill while Chifuyu looked at him in concern she had heard of what he faced with the ambassador but what he told her about it was not remotely comforting to face.

"Merle I don't know what you felt when you saw it, but whatever the reason of him teaming up with Phantom Task…we'll find out the truth in his office from the Germans and if the information isn't shared, I'll go there myself." Chifuyu stated confidently as Merle chuckled, the image of him putting the gun against his head suddenly flashing through his mind again as the teacher frowned immediately thrown off guard by the image.

"_What is wrong with me…these images, they aren't just images they're getting stronger and stronger. God what is this premonition you've given me, just what is going to happen now?"_

* * *

><p>Outside the academy<p>

The scope was in place, the crosshairs already settling down on his target as the shadowed figure looked into the scope to finally set his eyes upon the prize, the man adjusting the scope closer to get a clear shot of the person in the sights confirming his own suspicions.

He couldn't even believe it, the reports he received were right…**he was here.**

"I see. So this is what you meant when you said 'looking in the mirror'…when I actually think about it, he looks handsome though, for a person who took after our looks." The man chuckled darkly as the moonlight shone on his face, the shadowed figure now had the cover of darkness burn away leaving him exposed as he turned to scope in on Merle sitting in the cafeteria before he swept a hand over his dark hair, revealing a man dressed in black but his face was a distinctive feature.

Dark hair but bleak eyes that carried a complicated web of feelings with a chiseled facial features similar to Merle's, the man moved his scope to focus on Chifuyu for a lingering moment before he went back to seeing Merle looking at the window, as the unknown man lowered the sniper rifle opting not to do anything for the moment…to kill the man was not his purpose tonight, at least. For now Merle could run around and do as he pleased, but soon the man will have to face him he knew that…and it was because of it that he was grateful for it.

"So I finally get to see what you look like, Amasa. But although I question how you even came here it doesn't matter, there really is only room for one of us…you existing has brought Phantom Task to look for me again and your presence complicated the narrative for my 'death'." The man turned and walked away from the academy, his eyes gleaming with an unknown feeling before he looked back at where Merle was sitting eating and talking with his girlfriend before he left gripping the weapon by the scope handle as he left one last message for the man.

"Let's see which Amasa lives through this battle."

End

* * *

><p>Author's Notes: I have decided to make a new element where after the rogue IS from Israel arc thing is done will the Merle arc continue.<p>

So why did I add in an arc about Merle? Yes his story or his life was already done, but now I figure it is time to show my character what could have been him or what can happen to him had he had a choice.

So yeah, the box will become prominent again guys just to be clear in the 'Merle' arc, and I am hoping I have the time to sort and plan out this risky move I'm going to do to the story, if you do like the change tell me but if you don't then tell me as well I would like to hear your opinion.

The VI


	20. Landing, Bad Date and Mirrors

IS: Valkyrie

Author's Notes: A vacation, that's what will happen now…a vacation to the most exotic beach for a class trip! That's the sit rep with Ichika and harem group so it is time for our dear Ichika to take the center stage!

As for Merle, I got a surprise for him...

Disclaimer: I do not own the Infinite Stratos series or animation and they belong to the author who wrote them, if I did-

*LARIET!*

Ugh…

* * *

><p><em>Dream<em>

"_Get up, Merle."_

"_Ugh…" Merle struggled vainly as he felt his muscles fail, the shadow continuing to circle him like a predator to its prey before he felt himself being dragged upwards facing the shadow._

"_I said get up!" The voice demanded as Merle found his eyes falling onto the shadow staring right into his face, two bleak eyes piercing his orbs the teacher feeling his throat tightening in the presence of this mysterious shadow eyeing him with intense hatred._

"_How can you be me? You can't even protect yourself!" Merle didn't respond instead opting to glance into the man a sense of recognition and the unknown figure flinched back before punching him, sending the young man tumbling onto the ground. Merle gritted his teeth as he stretched out his palm where his glove should be, only to be mortally stunned when he saw the piece of tech was missing from his hand before the shadow stood over him slamming a foot onto his chest as Merle tried once again to lift his arms only to no avail before the shadow paused._

"_Why are you even me?"_

"Damn it." Merle uttered in response to the dream, the shadow and its inky black world suddenly burning away in the light of the afternoon sun waking him to the world of reality.

"Merle?" The teacher felt the soft yet firm lap of the other teacher looking over him as a hand twirled with his locks of straight hair, the man unable to hold back a sigh of pleasure at the touch before Chifuyu giggled at his reaction removing her fingers from his hair.

"Mm, that's one way to wake me up from a nightmare…I appreciate it." Merle said with thanks as he experimentally clutched his muscles in his arms feeling his fingers wiggling back and forth for him.

"Nightmare, want to tell me about it?"

"Hmm, I just dreamt I fought myself…or a man like me doesn't matter which but either way it wasn't pretty when you're sliced up so bad, but it was bad." He said as he rose from his seat, his eyes set on the blue horizon of the afternoon while he stretched his back Chifuyu standing from her seat at the long bench and walked over to lean over the rails of the back of the boat her eyes scanning the horizon.

"You said it was you? Never had such wild dreams like yours I can assure you."

"It felt real, like I was torn between two bodies…I have prayed and kept quiet reading over my bible for a while just to shrug off those feelings, it comes back with more tenacity like it's trying to be my ruin each time I chase it away. I may have a theory but even then…" Merle said with concern as Chifuyu spoke cutting his own thoughts off.

"If you have a theory you may as well say it. Either way I wouldn't judge you for it, but I can tell when you're keeping secrets and this is one of those times when it happens." Chifuyu said with firmness and a steadfast tone making Merle flinch, he had not yet told her who he really was…that he had been killed and saw God who gave him back his life. Although it sounded ridiculous he had not been able to feel the feeling that he should be telling her the truth, and he was struggling with it…he wanted to say the words but his own doubts kept holding him back and Merle would hardly admit it but his desire to be honest was killing him with time.

"Chifuyu I…do you believe in God?" Merle asked dreading the question already as he saw Chifuyu stiffen a little at that, her head hanging down slightly as a breeze blew away her hair.

"I…did, a long time ago. But it depends what you are talking about." She said with a bit more stress on the tone making Merle aware that he was peeling layers that she did not want to talk about, his voice threatening to leave him when he felt the change before he held his courage.

"The Christian one, the one I worship and listen to those sermons online…I'm talking about that one."

"That one is one I never heard of…only mentioned in passing but not elaborated. The only God I knew or perhaps not even knew who I was praying to in the first place, did not save my family from its path to self-division and an abandoned child with her younger brother." Chifuyu said painfully as Merle closed his eyes, thinking his own private thoughts before he spoke carefully still unsure of the woman's past.

"So what exactly did happen in your religious life?"

"My parents didn't know it, except maybe my mother who did not believe in Shinto or any of the other religions…it was all nonsense to her whenever someone approached her about it. However she did express a very sudden interest in the Christian culture due to the theories that surrounded it, and she found that it was interesting trying to explain it."

"I see, so did she find any satisfaction?" He asked in response before Chifuyu turned to give him a stoic face.

"I didn't manage to find out."

With Ichika

"Hmm, are we almost there yet Yamada-sensei?" The boy asked as the female teacher sitting on another row turned to address him with an assuring smile.

"Don't worry, we'll be there in two hours the boat ride is quite long to get to the island but the place Chifuyu and I scoped out was very good and ready to accommodate students! We even found a hotel that managed to even have more than enough for everyone in the first years to enjoy, also we'll be having a tour around the island and perhaps go to the beach to have fun I mean it is your break after all." The green-haired teacher said to Ichika as he relaxed into the chair, his eyes lazily scanning the rows of seats that were filled to the brim with students chattering or sleeping while groups would cluster at one row disturbing several of the adults. Ichika felt like his nerves would be strained and broken, he had to deal with these excitable girls in the academy and now he was on a trip to a holiday resort…the boy hoped in his own head that he wouldn't have to deal with the troublesome chases he had already gotten especially after Charlotte came clean with her own gender.

"Hmm, I have to go to the bathroom…probably wash my face from the sweat I have been accumulating from paranoia already." Ichika said as he got up from his seat, hoping he did not alert anyone to his presence but the girls were already too busy in their own world to care that sight making the male pilot sigh in relief as he walked towards the bathroom.

"Excuse me." A familiar voice sounded behind him as the male pilot turned back to see the owner of the voice, confusion in his tone as he addressed the owner.

"Uh, yes can I help you?" Ichika asked politely as the owner had a neutral frown on his face, the male pilot felt more uncomfortable as he looked closely at the owner with the familiar voice seeing short black hair with a fringe at the front with hands in his pockets, but it was the face that made Ichika feel like he was looking straight at a mirror seeing the casually dressed man in khaki shorts and a light blue shirt with white shoes tilt his head in confusion.

"Are you okay, boy? Or has a cat gotten your tongue?"

"Ah uh no, uh see…" The boy began to stutter at the man's questioning, he was obviously impatient but was keeping the feeling behind his face as Ichika struggled with his words the bleak eyes looming over him.

"Hmm?"

"You kinda look…familiar to someone, that's all I was mistaken by your appearance." Ichika apologized as the man simply shrugged before he almost forgot his earlier question as he let out a sheepish laugh the man relaxing his eyes much to Ichika's own personal comfort before the two men now felt more at ease with one another.

"Well, I was wondering if you were the male pilot that was admitted into the academy not long back in the start of this year…you look like him yourself."

"Eh, well I am but I didn't know I was so famous." Ichika said as the man just let out a snort, folding his arms.

"Are you kidding me, Ichika Orimura your face was plastered all over the news and the papers around the world have been screaming your name for some months especially the incidents that have been happening all around the school recently…I heard no such attacks have been openly carried out against the school in years." The man said matter of factly as Ichika then felt strange, the boy shrugging off the feeling as he raised an eyebrow at that information.

"Really, I thought with all that happens the IS academy not getting any sort of big headlines in the world news since its opening years ago, everything would be something of a secret."

"Not to the city opposite the academy itself, believe it or not people over there are really willing to talk about these sorts of things and in the span of about 6 months is kind of a big deal considering the facts that this is the only academy apart from the militaries of the world actually training pilots in an educational system tree…have you not been watching the news lately? The IS academy is more famous in name and its reputation around the globe than you actually think." The young man said with a confused expression, this male pilot didn't even know that fact the academy was that reputable was ridiculous to the young man but seeing Ichika scratch his head utterly lost he could see why.

"Sorry, I don't follow the internet or some of the news."

"Is that right? What a shame, you can learn so much from it…" The man trailed off as he walked past Ichika towards the hallway past the toilets the man cracking his neck, turning his head back to Ichika with a mysterious look.

"Oi, Ichika…"

"Huh?"

"…Give Merle my regards." The man said cryptically as he turned around the hallway disappearing from sight as Ichika suddenly turned around connecting the words of the mysterious stranger before he realized the man was gone.

"Huh, that was strange indeed…but is he a friend of Merle's? I have to ask him about it later when I can." Ichika shrugged off the nagging feeling in the back of his mind as he suddenly felt an urge to follow the man's steps and find out where he went, the boy deciding as he took a step forward…

And turned on his heel and walked back to his seat, a more trouble expression than he had on his face as he glanced back at the hallway where the man went through the nagging feeling becoming a full blown instinct begging him to avoid the person who held the same glance and irritating resemblance to his own teacher, like it was poison.

"I can't go there, something isn't right and I feel like I can't interfere. I feel like if I did…I could die."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile<p>

Amasa took a breath of relief, walking down the hallway and down the walkway to the lower decks of the ship cracking his neck as he continued to walk into the personal quarters he reserved for himself on the small ship, stepping past several knocked out crewmen who were unlucky enough to stumble unto the man using their room as he opened the door, observing the quarters with a smile.

"Bunk beds, just like the old days with Phantom Task…not like I can run from them any further." The man simply plopped himself onto the bed, the man knowing well enough that he might be caught soon when the boat landed…but he will be gone by then and those men would not really recall what was happening anyway, he was covered. Making sure the ship ran with the perfect amount of sailors able to steer and make the 2 hours less difficult was the biggest of his worries, he could have other circumstances plotted out to cut his plans in half.

"However, I won't be here long…just 2 hours and then I simply observe. But before that, Amasa…I wonder how much of me is in you right now, are you a person who truly fits in this world or will I personally annihilate you is another question entirely. So far you seem to be the person who can handle himself well, at least that I approve." The doppelganger smiled eerily as he turned towards the large metal case, opening the latches that held the contents inside before he reached in and grabbed it pulling out two puppets one made in his own image while the other was that of Chifuyu the man smirking inwardly as he began to playfully toss them in the air and back into his hands.

"Such an interesting experience, Amasa and I really hope to see your jaw drop with my debut appearance…soon." He said playfully, awaiting his chance.

* * *

><p>3 hours later, hotel<p>

"Thank you, Chifuyu-nee, Merle-san." Ichika said in passing to the two who were carrying their own luggage in hand, Merle waving his hand in politeness while Chifuyu had a very relaxed look on her face as she ignored his statement lost in her personal world.

"No problem besides, those girls were giving you some trouble back there." He said as the boy nodded fervently, recalling the event that just happened a few minutes ago a headache still evident on his hand over his forehead.

"_Ichika should be bunking in with me!" Cecilia rebutted the Japanese girl as Ichika could only stand rooted into the ground with a bit more confusion than a man who can't tell if a girl likes-wait._

"_No, he is a childhood friend and we have spent time in his home staying over and talking before, he needs someone which he can trust." Houki argued back as Ichika's facial features did change into that of slight thoughtfulness before Cecilia let out a 'hmph' and leaned back from her close up glare contest with the Japanese girl folding her arms below her bountiful chest, making Ichika turn shades of red while they weren't looking. Unknown to him was a very ominous and scary presence behind a corner of the open walkway, a Chinese pilot glaring her emerald eyes at his back._

"_Grrr, those girls are trouble…especially Houki. Don't worry Ichika, I'll be there to save you." She said as she snuck behind Ichika and tapped him on the shoulder the boy jumped a little due to his focus on the heated argument between Houki and Cecilia who were staring at each other stubbornly, before Rin clamped a hand on Ichika's mouth her hand already grabbing the handle of his luggage as she gestured to the hallway corner with her head._

"_Follow me." Not waiting around to argue as he felt the fiery temper of both girls skyrocketing, Ichika nodded and immediately went with his second childhood friend Rin grabbing his hand unnecessarily as he called out to her softly._

"_I can run by myself, Rin."_

"_No, you're just not getting the signals I'm sending you." Rin muttered in a sigh of frustration and utter disbelief at the boy's own statement much to Ichika's even more innocent mind coming up with more rational explanations about what she meant. Noticing it Rin simply sighed again and muttered 'never mind' under her breath, the duo not noticing a head of blonde hair and purple eyes coming around the corner in front of them before Rin suddenly came to a halt Ichika bumping into her back as the Chinese girl faced her new adversary._

"_Hello, Rin and Ichika…what's going on?" Charlotte asked almost too innocently as Ichika felt a hidden chill down his spine at her smile, Rin didn't feel it but she kept her guard up as she gestured to herself and Ichika who was too stunned to even move or speak._

"_I'm taking him to my room, Cecilia and Houki were really going at each other back there so I figured since I was nearby I would help him out."_

"_Huh? Those two arguing again, whatever for were they even arguing this time?" Charlotte asked as Rin now answered carefully, Ichika already feeling like Charlotte was going about this a bit too nicely than how she would normally do it._

"_I'm taking him to my room until they calm down."_

"_Fair enough, but can't Ichika choose his own room?" Charlotte's question made Rin gag internally at the sentence, she had not expected the French girl to pull that card out immediately and thought she might have not stumbled upon that fact as Charlotte turned towards Ichika with a more relaxed smile aimed for him as she stretched out her hand in a polite gesture while she spoke kindly._

"_Ichika, I have some room in my own personal room if you are willing to share with me of course. I won't pressure you, but it is if you're comfortable with me…" Charlotte said with a bit of red as Ichika felt Rin's eyes fall on him threatening the poor boy as he tried to voice his reply._

"_Well I-"_

"_Wife, wife!" A familiar voice shouting from the corner made Ichika panic as he immediately dived over the stone steps and did a breakfall into the bushes near a koi pond, the cover rustling madly for a few seconds before it died as Charlotte and Rin turned behind to see Laura Bodewig walk around the corner and stopped in front of the two girls who were trying not to give anything away as the German pilot spoke to them a look of concern on her face._

"_Have you seen Ichika? I haven't seen him since we made it to the hotel."_

"_Oh Laura, we haven't seen him…what's going on?" Charlotte spoke up for the two, Ichika in the meantime was busy praying that he wasn't going to be discovered as Laura folded her arms over her chest._

"_Hmm, where do you think he went?"_

"_I think he might be with Chifuyu-sensei." Rin said next her face showing a bit of rush as she made her way past Laura and around the corner, her mind screaming to the sky for her loss of luck and the opportunity to even get Ichika to stay with her for the trip. _

"…_what's with Rin?" Laura asked Charlotte who just scratched her cheek in an awkward position before she pointed to where she last saw Chifuyu._

"_Well, I don't know but I know that Chifuyu was going that way over there across the koi pond and towards her room most likely. Merle was with her so was Yamada-sensei." Laura smiled as she hopped onto the ground and gave her thanks to the French girl before she ran off to where her idol headed, the French pilot let out a sigh of relief as she looked at the bushes where Ichika was hiding out._

"_You can come out now."_

"_Thanks Char." Ichika said in respect as the IS pilot just waved her hand._

"_It's nothing, but seriously I would hope if you could bunk with me for the time being while we're here. Besides today is a free day and the other activities will come later, so I and the others are going to the beach to swim and play, are you going to join us for it?" Char offered as Ichika felt himself blush, the boy scratching the back of his head as he decided to give his answer to the patient girl._

"_I would like to-"_

"_Yo, Ichika." A man appeared around the corner his palm held out as Ichika recognized Merle coming behind Charlotte and smiling brightly at Charlotte who was happy herself. "Charlotte, glad to see you're spending time with Ichika already...something going on that I and Chifuyu should know?"_

"_What? No, we were just talking and she was inviting me to-"Merle gave a bigger sly grin as he caught on to what he was saying before he turned to tease Charlotte and Ichika both with this advantage._

"_Is that right? Well now aren't you two just moving on up, but skipping the dating stage…tsk tsk Ichika."_

"_Eh? Uh, but we were-!" The two students simultaneously said before Merle just burst into laughter, scaring the two who then realized that he was just joking around before the two gave an exasperated shout._

"_That wasn't funny!"_

"_Haha, you should have seen how scared you two were. Anyways even if you agreed I'm afraid your sister is quite the protective type…she insisted I bring you to her room where she will be staying with you." Merle said as he thumbed the building behind him where Ichika knew the teachers were situated at the far corner of the hotel grounds with only several other students living nearby. Hearing that made Charlotte frown, seeing that the chance had already been lost since Chifuyu already said so and she was family to Ichika already…but Merle of course caught that look but said absolutely nothing._

"_Well then if the poor stammering Ichika doesn't have any more complaints then I suppose I can take him away from your hands then, Charlotte?" Merle said to the girl with an apologetic look as he saw Charlotte give a look that said she was all right before the teacher gestured for Ichika to follow him as the two men moved on walking past the various female students who were finding their own rooms and trying to bunk in with each other making Ichika feel a little if not nervous by their glances at his back._

"_Nervous?"_

"_No, but they look really upset."_

"_Some of them wanted you to bunk in with them, but you see if there's one thing that is common between girls and boys…it is the fact that both sides are too shy to admit what they want." Merle explained before Chifuyu appeared in front of them halfway through._

"Well if I know one thing is that those girls are going to flip when they realize that you are staying with us straight off the bat." Merle commented much to Ichika's own discomfort as he imagined some of the more aggressive characters already staring him down with disappointment and anger at the decision, Merle snapping him out of his delusions and personal fears.

"Don't sweat it, anyways we are here…this is the place for you and Chifuyu." Merle said as he spun on his heel noting the time on his watch as he began to take his leave outside the rice door that led to his and Chifuyu's room, Ichika noticing a sad look on Chifuyu's face as she watched him immediately walk off without so much a goodbye leaving the siblings to themselves as Chifuyu cleared her throat giving her younger brother a smile.

"So, Ichika…what are you planning to do?"

* * *

><p>With Merle, 30 minutes later at the town<p>

"She's running late." Merle muttered as he hummed to the tune of Cohen's Scherzo #7, waiting patiently for the girl to appear while the surrounding people felt freaked out by the creepy tune he was humming to, the crowd actually involuntarily leaving a space for the man as they attempted to avoid the man who simply gave a sigh.

"What's so creepy about it, it's not like a crazed artist wrote this-oh, wait. It did happen." Merle said with a mock frown at that statement, before he heard something running-no, bolting towards him at full burst the man feeling a familiar déjà vu with himself as he stepped to the side avoiding a sudden cloud of dust kicking off into the air running past him before it stopped and decided to turn back much to the teacher's own personal concern as he stepped back and decided to run away for his life hoping he would avoid an incident in the middle of town but he was unfortunately too late.

"Kuro-channnn!" The cloud screamed with a teasing voice as Merle felt the familiar shiver of him being molested before he took his chances and ran, turning back to yell at the approaching cloud.

"No God please no! No! No!" He said as the cloud began to get closer to him a human arm extending from the cloud to grapple his shirt soon jumping upon the innocent man as he screamed a final time.

"NOOOOOO!"

Later

"Uuu…"

"I told you not to perform scare tactics on me, but did you listen? No." Merle said as he ate his small tub of ice cream while looking at his so-called date, the purple-haired girl holding her head while she licked away at her own choice of ice cream feeling a small lump on her head before she let out a huff.

"Kuro-chan is mean today, hitting a lady…"

"Sorry, I didn't notice." Merle countered back at the young woman who just laughed in response, her masked playfulness dropping revealing a genuine sigh of enjoyment from the woman who had not experienced such a thing since her school days.

"Well that was fun, what can we do next?"

"That's a good idea, I was thinking of a small walk to ease you from the harsh workings of life, or so I would always do…though I wonder what sights I can see here that isn't remotely something akin to a temple or shrine, a fortress maybe?" He said in wonder before Tabane snapped her fingers at his thoughts, an idea forming in her brain.

"Ah, I think there's a small castle like that in the main island or something. We can take a look at it."

"I'll probably get some snacks to go along with it." Merle added as the two took off, rising from the bench together while the teacher disposed of his tub and her ice cream popsicle wrapper before they both set off for the nearest convenience store and upon buying their snacks, the teacher then bought a small portable umbrella for the two of them much to Tabane's own wonder.

"So why are we getting an umbrella?"

"I heard that it could rain so I entertain the anticipation and bought us one. Is that alright with you?" Merle deadpanned before Tabane shook her head in reply and walked off with the teacher heading past the various shops and houses towards the small castle in the distance, both adults not really saying much on the journey until they neared the trail that led up to it.

"So…how are you?"

"So far, the government is constantly paranoid about my appearance and so are alert for any sightings of a girl with bunny ears, but since I changed my wardrobe the government are unable to track me down…I even had to cut my hair to avoid suspicion." Tabane said as she played with a lock of her hair, twirling it around her index while Merle gave a 'hmm' in response the teacher looking to the side something catching his attention at the corner of his eye. Turning back to Tabane like nothing happened, he simply continued the march up the stone steps eyeing the people that passed him by with a hint of concern which the scientist noticed and the curl of his lips downwards made her wary.

"What is it?" She whispered before Merle shook his head seeing that she was about to turn back, instead gripping her hand with his to distract the young woman before he leaned near her ear.

"Someone's trailing us, with a coat. I'll go to a part of the castle and try to lose him, I don't like the feeling he has in his eye it's almost like some bad ominous sign waiting to happen." Merle said cautiously, the two approaching the wall that surrounded the main castle where a barracks was nearby tourists flocking around in the droves at this time of year making the teacher let out a frustrated clench of his teeth.

"Well, any ideas where to go from here Tabane?"

"We can try to find the gardens, or one of the courtyards which are away from the crowd." Tabane suggested as she felt the same uncomfortable shiver down her spine feeling something wrong as Merle took off with her in tow behind the barracks the man still moving with precise focus on them before Tabane pointed to a nearby exit in the ancient wall, the two steadily moving straight into the doorway leading into a small field of sakura trees which were bare for the year. Coming to a stop, Merle immediately gave a glance at Tabane to hide herself as the scientist complied the footsteps behind him coming right to a halt behind him as Merle pulled the glove out from his pocket wearing it snugly onto his hand as the voice at his back spoke out confidently.

"Well, look who it is. I came all this way, looks like I was right all along about your presence in that school trip." Merle's eyebrows raised as he recognized his own voice in that tone, the man turning behind to give a stunned look at his pursuer in the coat who was standing a few feet away a grey hood covered the man's face but Merle could only eye the shaven mustache and beard the lips of the man in a deep frown as his hands kept stuffed in the coat's pockets while Merle clenched his glove feeling the energy surge before he addressed the stranger his face in a mocking expression.

"Well nice to finally meet my stalker since the entry into town. Hope I didn't spoil the surprise for you?" The man simply chuckled lightly before he gave a shrug to the man's jab, his hands still fiddling with something in his pockets as Merle didn't take it lightly his fist powering up his AIC shroud.

"No, you're just the man I want to see."

"Good to know. So why the dress code and the whole stalking when you can just come up to me and kill me, I was already vulnerable the whole time." Merle demanded as the man simply shrugged again, his dark bleak eyes unseen as his head tilted in the direction which Tabane ran off to hide.

"Tabane is safe, honestly I don't want to involve her any more than necessary in this very storm you started brewing." The man said accusingly as the two men began to circle each other, Merle looking strangely at the voice his own wisecrack beginning to die inside as he felt a certain connection with the man, the stranger simply looking away from him at the trees.

"What do you mean by that?"

"You tell me, I just want to talk to you only. That isn't much of a big request, you know." The stranger countered while Merle simply stared at the hooded man who then lowered his head to eye the ground still circling each other like predators, the teacher feeling unease.

"So what do you want?" Merle asked the gnawing question as the stranger paused in mid-stride, his fingerless-gloved hand moving to the hood as Merle watched the man grab the fabric and bring it down slowly showing the teacher the back of his head while Merle felt his eyes narrowing at the man with a feeling of suspicion before the man turned, Merle was unable to move when he felt his eyes meet a mirrored version of his own the stranger staring straight at the teacher without so much of a straight glare. The man's face was so much like his, the hair was however short with a fringe going to the side of his face while two long scars were drawn in a cross from his temple which harbored an impact skin blotch like a bullet entered it going down his left eye and the second scar from his cheek to the side of the nose, his eyes were bleaker but not totally devoid of life or meaning in fact it glowered only a little as a wind blew by the two men Merle unable to even speak as he felt his confidence shake a bit, his glove already loosening its clench as his face was utterly stunned by the man's face.

"You are…"

"Amasa, in the flesh." The man introduced himself as he drew out his hand in a bow, the fingerless glove looking almost like the glove that Merle carried himself as the teacher looked down at his special glove and back at the declared doppelganger that looked back up with an interested face seeing the appearance of Merle's glove.

"I see Tabane Shinonono has given you a new toy. Too bad, mine isn't the same as yours though." Amasa spoke with a hint of instability as Merle braced himself for a fight his thoughts running wild from the man's declaration while the man looked at his fingerless glove with some envy.

"_Shit, he has the glove too?!"_

"Where did you get it?" He asked, dreading the answer as Amasa simply smiled.

"If you think that Tabane Shinonono is responsible for many of the world's problems regarding the IS suits due to her capability, I'm afraid you lack the imagination to think of individuals who can craft weapons like these." Amasa said as he stretched out his hand, making Merle flinch as he brought his hand out in return ready to deflect the blow but it didn't come as Amasa now gave a laugh at the man's uneasiness. "I'm really ashamed of you, to be called me with another name…you aren't the cold-blooded Phantom Task operative I expected you to be, considering our shared origins."

"We don't share the same past."

"Really now you think that is true? I overheard how Phantom Task nearly managed to attack the IS academy all for the sake of getting to acquire you, then came the ambassador who sent out a leak regarding my identity and that was all it took for my attention to turn and my cover of my death reopened for interpretation. I worked for Phantom Task, didn't like their goals…so boring, it wasn't even that kind of ambitiousness and they ended up like the dictators of our world only vying for power." Amasa said unconvinced as Merle narrowed his eyes facing the man while half-believing what he was seeing his hand still outstretched at Amasa.

"I am not you, in any way at all." Merle countered while Amasa held his ground, eyeing the man intently while his eyes seem to search for something.

"Is that right? I know you tell the truth, but you can be like me in so many ways. There's always a way to go to the far end of the edge of being a killer and a murderous operative feared by the world and its own organization, I know you have it in you to kill..."

"Stop, you can't convince me otherwise." Merle pushed his open palm forward cutting the man's thoughts off as Amasa stretched out his arms spinning in a circle while laughing to himself in joy ignoring the man before him for a moment as he kept his arms stretched out in a cross.

"Oh but I don't wish to, you're the one I've been looking for all this time. I have dreamt you know, for years I knew this day would come when I finally would meet someone who can understand me…my own self standing before me with a different perspective on my own life."

"You're just a little insane in the head." Merle spat as Amasa tilted his head his expression dull but carried suppressed excitement in his eyes while his fingerless glove glowed brightly, his grin starting to become an uncomfortable sadistic one as he lowered his head facing the ground.

"And **whose fault is that? **There is a **difference between **you and **I**. We both came from **the same old family, the same old ABUSE…**the same old story, but with a twist to the tale's own ending. Can you guess what it could be for yourself?" Amasa spoke as his voice began to alternate between tones, his voice starting to becoming childish and hateful simultaneously as Merle kept silent not even wanting to address the unstable man as Amasa glared at him intensively bringing up the glove to bear on the teacher who took his words in with some consideration before a surge of energy from Amasa's glove began to light Merle immediately reinforcing the shroud around him with his arm.

"Let me **show you.**" Amasa growled as he stretched out his glove, sending out wires that stretched out before him and hooked onto the air making Merle step back as the air began to shift forming into the last thing Merle wanted on his hands, the teacher could only stare at the rising figure in front of him armored with twin gauntlet blades electrical energy surging from the gauntlets a cold unfeeling helmet looking upon Merle as it stood up to his height, Amasa grinned widely.

"Time to **introduce ourselves, **Paladin…**Ripper**." Amasa tugged the wires, the armored figure charging Merle who took the blow full force.

* * *

><p>With Ichika<p>

"Oi, Ichika! We're going to the beach to play some volleyball!"

"Ah-yes I'll be coming right now!" Ichika said to his fellow classmate as he stepped out of Chifuyu and his room, sliding the rice door open to reveal him in just a pair of swim shorts, the boy rubbing some sun screen onto his face as extra protection before he set off the black-haired boy suddenly feeling a chill run down his spine as his memory suddenly had a flashback to the boat.

"_**Give Merle my regards."**_

"What was that all about? I totally forgot to actually tell him…about that man. I don't know what he wants with Merle but somehow I get a really bad feeling something is about to go down." Ichika said to himself worriedly as he turned to where he last saw Merle walking down to the town with a worried glance in his eyes. Had he seen the strange man that looked like him running about too?

"Oi, Ichika…all the girls are ready to go, what about you?" Chifuyu's voice called out from the interior of the room as Ichika turned back to look at the bathroom door where his sister was enjoying the tub.

"Uh, yeah I'll be right there soon!" Ichika said as Chifuyu gave a snort from the door, her voice sounding out again at her little brother as she decided now was the time to give a little tease for her poor old innocent brother.

"Well, make sure you don't ogle any of your little girl squad too intently or they'll get the wrong idea in their heads to jump you immediately!" She chuckled as Ichika let out a frustrated yell sliding the rice door while saying that he hoped the water would be cold today for his beach trip, already giving up on trying to reason with his sister on that particular fact as he walked down the hallway his thoughts going to the girls as he scratched the back of his head.

"Man, I don't know what to even do with them. I mean, I want them all to get along with each other but for some reason…well, for some reason they don't seem to like each other so much." He sighed out as he reached the hotel entryway, smiling at the host who waved a hand while giving the boy a thumb up however Ichika blur as he was simply nodded unaware of the meaning behind the gesture as he walked out and down the street seeing the beach opposite him being littered with girls as waved crashed unto the nearby cliff and rocky formations, Ichika letting out a breath.

"Okay, I will have some time to enjoy myself!" Ichika promised himself as he went out to the beach unaware of the situation brewing at the local castle in town.

* * *

><p>With Merle<p>

The teacher slumped to his knees, his hand sweating as it took another hit from the metal knight who soon retreated to its master's side Amasa simply looking on in some disappointment at the fight's results, the Phantom Task operative looking to see Tabane going out of hiding as the doppelganger shoved his gloved hand in his pocket, the silver paladin looking at the defeated Merle who had blood running down the side of his head and his arm was sliced though not as severely a trickle of red on his arm while the scientist brought out her medicine kit and began to patch him, Merle switching to an AIC bubble when he noticed she was coming the man breathing heavily at his loss.

"That's all from you, I presume?" Merle tried to stand up only to fail as he felt his body not responding to his will, Amasa simply smirking at the weakened teacher seeing his arm slump to the floor.

"Don't even try it, the poison will paralyze your body…you'll be easy prey for the next 2 weeks." He said confidently as Merle tried to move his arms only to have it shake and shiver uselessly as Tabane immediately fretted over his wounds eyeing the serious gash to his shoulder and arm while seeing two large cuts on his forehead.

"Merle, is there any other injuries more severe than the other two?" Tabane asked as Merle shook his head, his eyes glaring right at Amasa who lifted his finger allowing the knight to slash at the AIC which canceled the blow against them as Amasa gave a 'tch' in response.

"That's annoying…having a trick like that." Amasa commented on the situation as he expected Merle to collapse dead sooner, Tabane flashing a death glare that promised Amasa a slow and painful beating as the man simply bounced off her glare Merle letting out a spit of saliva and blood onto the stone road.

"How…did you even get an IS to be under your command?" He asked as he stared at the silver paladin, Amasa simply smirked as he released his grip on the knight Merle and Tabane both watching it disappear as Amasa retrieved the wires which disappeared into the fingerless glove.

"That isn't an IS, I simply used an unmanned IS and compacted it to fit inside the glove a puppet to serve like my weapon. Simply put, I don't have to do anything."

"You see the difference in us, you are the weaker man than I for I have done more killing than you will ever do…and now that you're alive and the leak is out I have no choice but to erase you, the shell who is me so I can once again retreat to the shadows and live." Amasa spoke harshly as Merle struggled to his feet, only to be sent to his knees again by the pressure of the blows that rang against his body and the seeping poison in his veins Tabane supporting him by the shoulder as the man's vision was starting to blacken from the loss of blood.

"The ambassador…why would he-"

"Because he knows my past, he is the man who knew everything there is to know about me. How did you think that he knew who you were, or assumed you to be? I am certainly not very pleased with his actions, he defied the deal we made…but even worse you were the one who killed him and for that, I am even angrier that you killed him for blabbering out the truth!" Amasa accused the man ready to let loose on him with Paladin Ripper before he refrained, his fingerless gloved hand going back into his pocket before he turned on his heel.

"You can live in fairy-tail land protected by all your academy teachers but one day the consequences of even coming here will come to you, I will make sure of it. Enjoy your trip while it lasts." Amasa spat as he walked off right before Merle called after his twin again.

"Wait!" Amasa stopped, his back facing the two as Merle let out a coughing fit before he could speak.

"Why? Why did you kill your father? You were better than this!" He cried out only for Amasa to glare back at the man who was kneeling in defeat on the ground, his opinion of the man already lesser than it had been as Amasa simply spat out the words clearly for Merle to hear.

"Because unlike you, I did what was right." He said as he walked away, leaving a defeated Merle to fall unconscious on the floor succumbing to the poison while Tabane tried to wake the man up Amasa not even taking a look back at his doppelganger, walking down the stone steps away from the fortress.

"You're lucky, Amasa…Merle. Tabane was there to help you and honestly she can kill me as easily as a knife over a cake, however you can't hide behind that woman forever and I will eventually kill you soon when your guard is down, and also I know more than you can ever know." He said as he dug into his pocket, and brought out in his own hand a very familiar and ornate music box with strange symbol dials the man spinning some of it in his hand watching as the dial spun to a stop upon a black bird.

"I know that with you, the box shall be whole."

End

Author's Notes: Okay guys this is the prologue chapter to the Silver Gospel arc so I will explain why I preferred having Merle confront Amasa in this sequence. Firstly was that I decided that instead of doing you know the whole final two bosses to end the Gospel arc I would prefer to have the confrontation out now in the open so that the man will face his own demon.

I wanted to make Amasa into a justified killer, he is armed with the belief that killing his father may have broken the family but he gained freedom from the shackles of his past. It is wrong morally, which is what makes Amasa's character different for Merle's who saw faith as an escape and letting his father face his crimes whereas Amasa feels justified to do it by his own hands.

Merle will be out for the whole arc until my own comes out, so Ichika can take the stage for the moment as for how I'll do it well…we'll see.

Hopefully you like this chapter and I'll see you guys on the next IS Valkyrie!

VI


	21. Phoenix, Cutting down Burdens, Mission

IS Valkyrie

Author's Notes: This is the next installment and of course it is mostly Ichika now and Merle will be incapacitated as I said before, so yeah…

Well guys the story starts to take a Bioshock Infinite constant and variables theme, but I wonder whether it would stay that way…well, no need to make the plot as complicated as it is. For any clarification, yes there are now two music boxes with an IS core power equivalent…any guesses?

Let's begin.

Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos.

* * *

><p>Hotel<p>

Merle's room

"Ugh, my body's not responding to me…" Merle complained as he opened his eyes, his body trying to rise only to find itself pinned to the ground by his own body's refusal to move making Merle mutter a string of complaints to himself as he gave in and laid awake on the futon that covered him warmly.

"Merle-san?" A familiar voice belonging to a green-haired woman reached his ears as the man turned his head straining the neck slightly with some effort to see Yamada sitting beside him in a seiza position without her glasses, the teacher looking at him in concern as Merle gave a sigh.

"Hey Yamada, what happened to me? Last thing I recall was trying to fend off some guy…"

"Tabane-san brought you here, she was hysterical with your condition and so was Chifuyu who was panicking…I've never seen her get angry at herself before but it was bad. You were pretty injured yourself with your injuries, whoever assaulted you must have some skill." Yamada said with a thoughtful look as Merle closed his eyes and blinked the sand off his eyes, sudden flashes of memory began to play in his mind as the teacher gave a sigh to himself regarding the situation at hand turning his head aside to look at the ceiling.

"So what happened while I was out?"

"Chifuyu was talking to Tabane once word got out you were injured, Charlotte has visited you along with Houki and the others including Ichika though it took some sense to prevent him from running after the culprit." Yamada listed making the teacher laugh at the last part his parched throat making his tone raspy.

"Sounds like him, so is Chifuyu…?"

"She's coming to see you soon, five minutes I think along with Tabane once things calmed down. But Merle-san, are you even…" Yamada trailed off as Merle looked at her confused, unable to come up with a reply to that question before he heard a rice door slide open revealing none other than Tabane and Chifuyu both facing the paralyzed man who laid in his futon with a frown on his face, his eyes narrowing slightly as he closed his eyes after seeing their expressions.

"I suppose it's time to talk about the attacker right?"

"…You can say that." Chifuyu said without any sugarcoating for the teacher who gave a tired groan, aware that he couldn't go anywhere much less try to avoid the subject in total.

"Hey, I just want to let you know…"

"It's fine. This has been getting old for me, so I appreciate some solid answers and a good reason why someone who looks strikingly similar to you decided to attack you." The woman said as the two of them took a seat beside his futon, Chifuyu in a much closer proximity stroking his hair with her hand while he simply breathed in the sweet smell of Dettol hand wash making him blanch a bit in regards to the strong smell.

"Well I was hoping that this hasn't had to happen, looks like your date was ruined Tabane." Merle addressed the science prodigy with an apologetic look, his eyes a bit droopy as Tabane waved her hands in front of his face which was getting to her while noticing a glare from her childhood friend.

"Not really, I enjoyed it even though it was short but I don't really get why someone would speak as if he knew you. Merle, I wonder if you are…" Tabane wondered off into her private thoughts making Chifuyu just sigh in irritancy at her stalling before the woman turned to Merle who was still feeling nothing from his neck down, his eyes moving up to eye her with equal apology.

"Merle, I want to know this important thing…you said you moved from the Middle East." Merle nodded calmly as Chifuyu took in his answer before putting forth another question. "You didn't say you were an only child."

"Actually, that's what I want to get off my chest." Merle said as the three women flinched nervously, the inclusion of his statement to deny it already evident before Merle looked to the interior of the room not at them.

"I am the only child, and I honestly do not know anyone who would go so far as to assume they know me this intimately. To be fair in my opinion, considering what I've been through I wouldn't be surprised to know that someone will just want to be interested in me…he could much less be Phantom Task for all I care thanks to the German ambassador." Merle dismissed the thoughts of the women, his logic wasn't far off the mark as far as Chifuyu and Tabane could tell and the fact was that for the former since he told her that the man she was in contact with was a Phantom Task operative she had a slightly panicked look but suppressed it well that he couldn't tell the difference. Chifuyu went back over her memory of the reports and found that she had not spilled anything so significant to the man apart from training of Laura…wait.

"Merle, did the German ambassador know about Laura?" She asked with some dread as Merle confirmed her fears with a nod, his face solemn as he recognized her face going into a familiar expression before he interrupted her soon to surface thoughts.

"It wasn't your fault, know that. Goodness you look like your brother now, it isn't even funny…" Merle muttered out loud as Chifuyu clenched her fist, knowing that whatever she thought was useless already but she couldn't help it. Laura was her pupil no matter what she may have seen the job at the time, and for Laura the woman had felt a bigger connection because of her lack of having parents as well as being the tool of a government who never cared for her too much along with the fact of being a person of some but not big enough value as a pilot, it was this fact that made Chifuyu select her in the first time. But to know that she may have had a small part in revealing her potential due to her job conditions, it was something that stuck to her.

"I know but to have knowledge that it could happen…"

"We both did not know." Merle countered hoping that she wouldn't let her own baseless guilt take over her as Chifuyu calmed down considerably from his words, her mind countering the emotional baggage and dispelled it from her thoughts before she could speak to Merle a hand on her hip while a relieved look came to her face as she looked at her boyfriend.

"You know, you're quite a sweet talker Merle." Chifuyu said without much of a glance towards him, the man simply smiling to himself at his effect on the woman before he instinctively tried to lift his hands only to feel nothing.

"Well that doesn't matter now, I can't touch your cheek or stroke your lovely raven hair…I think that my days are going to be even more horrible with this now." He joked as Chifuyu gave a laugh at his own interpretation of the situation he had to get stuck with now, the teacher having a groan as he failed to life his own hand again. Chifuyu in the meantime wasted no time to place a kiss on his forehead reassuring him before she stood up again, her eyes trickled concern for him.

"Looks like I need to go, I'm going to hold a lesson with the other pilots by the shore and Tabane's going with. She has a surprise for her sister, that among other things you get well soon." The Orimura said as she rose from her seat behind him, accompanied by Tabane and Yamada who looked on with a nod as she continued to sit the downed teacher, Merle just closing his own eyes without a care and fell asleep.

An hour later, shoreline

"So what are we doing here, Chifuyu-nee?" Ichika asked finally as the group of students and Chifuyu including Tabane made their way to the plain of rock that stretched out across them, the low tide for the year giving them the breathing room they needed as Chifuyu turned to Tabane gesturing the woman to continue as she spun playfully to look at the group. Ichika was right now hanging around only a handful of first-year pilots which wasn't saying much impressive thoughts as he looked to his right and left, beginning to have a tired sigh from his mouth.

"So this is the person behind the IS right? Tabane Shinonono." Rin said with some jealousy hidden in her voice as her eyes instinctively due to her body complex at the ample chest that bulged out of Tabane's new blouse, the buttons at the top left unbuttoned due to the size which made the Chinese girl clench a fist immediately while Charlotte looked completely unsure of what was going on with her companion not noticing a smirk on Cecilia who caught the actions of her Asian counterpart with some glee, the British pilot putting her own hands under her breasts as if testing weight making the French girl turn away from the obvious jab at Rin. Meanwhile Ichika felt his left hand get squeezed tight like a viper was latched on to him as he let out a small gasp of air, his eyes falling down to eye the silver-haired girl who was also having some issues of her own as the male pilot tried to escape her grip.

"Laura, let go of me…"

"No." The soldier firmly stated leaving no room for negotiations as Ichika felt his own nerves get shot from her words, his head shaking in return as he looked further left noticing that someone was missing as he addressed everyone in the small rock platform.

"Uh guys, where is Houki? She was behind us when we left for the beach right?"

"Oh don't worry about it, she's probably hiding from me around here somewhere." Tabane said with a sigh as she jabbed her thumb over to some of the rocks jutting out of the ground like teeth, Ichika couldn't see anything as Tabane let out a hum before an idea hit her causing her to break into grinning almost madly and uncharacteristically which Chifuyu noted with both pity and some small measure of horror.

"Oh no, Tabane whatever you do don't-"

"Houki-chan! Let me have a look at how much you developed!" Tabane screamed for the group to hear as Ichika slapped his hand over his forehead, making Houki flinch in fear of her older sibling as she soon found Tabane looking over her if you could call white eyes and a heavy breathing equivalent to that of a perverted old man being a normal kind of look. Chifuyu however not being a sadist in her nature, instantly gripping the woman by the collar of her outer white jacket throwing the woman back onto her butt the younger Shinonono letting out a big sigh of relief seeing her older sibling thwarted before Tabane switched back to her business mode without the playful bunny gestures or weird expressions something which Chifuyu caught well on before as it was a significant change from her usual looks.

"All jokes aside though, Houki…sister I have a present for you." Houki seemed to perk up, her excitement hidden well as she removed herself from the rock formation and stood in front of Tabane her eyes hopeful in which the woman nodded with glee holding her hand to the sky as a large capsule descended onto the rock platform, wedging itself hard into the ground to the surprise of the others except Chifuyu who was interested to see the content of the capsule though she could very well guess.

"That means it is done then, Tabane…a new gen IS for your own sister."

"Yep! And I call this particular one…" She paused for effect as the capsule then hissed out steam, giving way for a crimson IS suit which made Houki's face go utterly wide-eyed at the appearance as Tabane smiled widely at the suit her eyes full of inspired results as she gestured to the IS suit.

"I wanted to call it by something else, but I guess with a bit of inspiration from someone else I somehow changed my mind. The new name of this IS for you is now called Phoenix."

* * *

><p>With Amasa, Main town hotel<p>

Amasa relaxed in his seat, the dark fringe flipped aside from the center of his temple as he let out a thoughtful hum in the quiet of his room while the traffic outside the room was still busy even in the sweet early afternoon, though the sun glare ruined the enjoyable weather and so he had the curtains drawn up Amasa's hands skimming over his music box before he went to the dial wheels and began to flick the symbols methodically like a rhythm.

"The black bird, the house, a knife, a man…" He chanted to himself as the noise of the locks began to slide back one by one before the ex-Phantom operative paused momentarily, his eyes blazing with some nostalgia and the feeling of euphoria at seeing his dead father's face twisted in shock while the knife drove straight into his chest over and over making the operative smile at the memory, he remembered how he took the knife from his father's clumsy hands and without a second thought plunged it into his back.

"The woman." Another lock slide open for him as his fingers stopped at the next dial, hesitation gripping him as his fingertip grazed the dial a flash of him standing over his mother armed with a bloodied knife and hard breathing with a strained bloody hand.

"I can't." He said as he removed himself from the box, resetting the dials as he averted his eyes to anything else that can sway his concentration before he focused back on his current problem.

"So, Amasa…we finally meet but yet you didn't bother to kill me. Why?" He wondered to himself as he recalled how he was simply standing there taking most of his unmanned IS's blows like a sponge, but he did attack or at least try to twice only to be rebuffed by his IS slashing and stabbing him in the shoulder. Despite that, he could have called upon Tabane to defend him and that way it would have killed him…he had heard of Tabane able to tear an opposing IS apart like toys, so one that is of similar tech and design should have given her an edge.

"Amasa, whatever your reasons are only one of us can exist." He stated coldly as he brought out a picture from his wrist to form in front of him in hologram form while he began to sing with a whistle in his voice.

_You can run on for a long time,_

_Run on for a long time,_

He sighed as the picture of his father's dead body came to life in front of him with a replaying of him standing over the man stabbing him over and over, the film from a camera in the house as he put it in repeat continuing to sing his eyes glinting with glee seeing his father's twisted shock while his mother looked on in fear enjoying the sight of his mother's horrified face.

_Run on for a long time,_

_Sooner or later God'll cut you down,_

_Sooner or later God'll cut you down._

"Sooner or later, I'll cut you down." He chuckled as the picture changed to the image of his doppelganger's bloodied face.

* * *

><p>With Houki and the rest<p>

"Phoenix? What gave you such an idea to have such a name for this IS suit?" Chifuyu asked curiously while a suspicious glance at Tabane made the science prodigy shiver before she shoved off her question gesturing to the new IS suit she made specifically for her little sister, Houki in the meantime circled around the suit like she was looking at a brand new toy her interest already beyond piqued and full blown excited as she touched her palm on the suit without thought feeling a surge of warmth and familiarity coursing through her system while Ichika smiled knowingly at her.

"It's a good feeling isn't it?" Seeing Houki turn confused at his words before he cleared his throat. "You felt it too didn't you, the surge of something familiar and yet a warm recognition like some kind of calling?"

"Yes, that's exactly how I felt when I touched it but is it normal?" Houki asked, her breath hitched in her throat as Ichika nodded seeing the amazement on her face like she was special now, the boy although feeling proud seeing Houki get herself a suit frowned inwardly keeping his own personal thoughts to himself while Tabane patted the IS letting the suit kneel lower for its new master to take position in, Houki feeling a lot of emotions as she settled herself in letting the suit relax and take control before the HUD appeared in front of her as system checks and weapons loadout begun to appear right in front of her the girl staring at the loadout which contained a rifle but what caught her eye were twin swords, both of which she recognized as Japanese katana.

"I knew you loved kendo…" Tabane's voice made Houki turn to her sibling in surprise as Ichika had a look of surprise himself seeing that she was already shaking slightly but held it back as Tabane glanced up at her sister. "So I saved this specially for you."

"I…sister…" Houki couldn't even say anything as Chifuyu turned to Tabane, wanting to get to the point.

"Sorry, Tabane but I have to skip to the demo you two can talk away from public ears back in the hotel. She's more surprised at that display of sibling care though," Chifuyu added the last sentence as an afterthought as Tabane nodded in reply gesturing to the sky as two missile launchers formed beside her on either side facing the sea, the science prodigy pointing to her sister.

"Don't you want to test it out first?" Tabane said as Houki nodded her training kicking in as she flew into the sky the missile launchers firing then locking onto Houki as Ichika looked on with worry before Tabane assured the younger Orimura with a smile.

"Don't worry even if they're real, it won't touch her." True to her word, a series of explosions soon littered the sky as Tabane picked out a set of goggles and activated the sonar seeing the form of her sister through the smoke in her IS slashing away at each of the missiles that tried to bombard the Japanese girl but the weapons in her hands felt right, the girl slashing away without abandon at each of the missiles.

"This is awesome! I am finally doing it!" Houki said to herself as she weaved out of the way and slashed at another volley. This continued on for another minute before her sister recalled her missile launchers, the Japanese pilot taking it as a chance to land onto the ground in front of the group who were looking at the new suit in utter amazement as Phoenix disintegrated into two small bands on Houki's wrist, the girl feeling pride but her training with Merle curbed some of that pride as she looked down at the bands lost in the sea of anticipation.

"Finally I can now fly an IS and also…I can finally protect you, Ichika." The girl said to herself softly while Tabane and Chifuyu looked at each other knowingly, the latter already having a slight frown before she spoke to the group, her mind changing about the whole subject of teaching a lesson as she turned to Ichika.

"Ichika."

"Huh, oh yeah sorry I was distracted." Ichika said as he scratched his head, trying to avoid an eye at Chifuyu who folded her arms at him going into teacher mode on her brother.

"I just want you to go back to your hotel room and if possible, I want you to keep an eye on Merle. But in the meantime I will be chatting with the girls about something, it's none of your business so keep clear of us understand? I don't want you hanging around here." She said almost out of character but much to the other girls' own confusion at the whole change of pace and this sudden change of plans, Ichika in his denseness nodded and turned to move away shooting a final caring glance at Houki who blushed a bit at his smile the girl looking down as her confidence was eaten, Tabane grabbed her sister's shoulders as she moved them away back to the hotel despite Chifuyu's glance at her childhood friend who waved off her own words leaving the teacher with the other girls as she wiped a palm over her face.

"Girls, I want to ask you all something. It's about Ichika." When she said the name of her brother she could have sworn that all of them suddenly shivered as if they were anticipating this question which already confirmed her suspicions besides the obvious ogling they had, her orange eyes sparing no one from her serious gaze.

"Since the last few days I've noticed that all of you in more ways than one are already having their sights set on my dear little brother, is that even true?" Chifuyu eyed each one of the girls who then had their own expressions of shock and embarrassment on their faces as Chifuyu then paused, her eyes not betraying any emotions.

"Let me tell you all something, and this will come to Houki too: I don't approve, of any of you frankly, to even be a girl worthy to date Ichika…in fact if you think that it is simple because some of you know me," she paused to look at two in particular who flinched Laura even more so than the other before she continued. "Some of you may have gotten Merle's attention or even his utter disapproval." At that Charles gulped along with Cecilia who looked away from the teacher who didn't let up on her opinion, her mind already somewhat feeling slightly guilty for saying this but she persisted.

"But the bottom line is: even if you win over Merle, he's only a guardian he doesn't have the actual authority over the Orimura family and as far as you four need to be concerned with is that I am still in charge of the family and I will not tolerate this dribbling of drool over my brother any longer. So let me ask you this once: why did you guys even fall in love with my dumb, dense brother?"

* * *

><p>With Merle<p>

"Well, I feel my face actually going pale…" Merle muttered to himself as he wondered just what was going on as Yamada put down a book she had carried over breathing deeply as she looked at the ceiling.

"Whew, almost done with the book. Are you feeling okay yet, Merle-san?"

"Can't feel anything is more like it, but I can't believe this: two weeks? Seriously this is utterly ridiculous that a man like that can just confine me to a bed so easily." The teacher complained as Yamada didn't answer taking a sip of tea as Ichika came in bringing in a tray of food, setting the food beside Merle as he broke off a pair of chopsticks.

"Well nice to see you're doing well, Merle."

"Yeah, it wasn't pretty to say the least about my injuries…an arm and shoulder in a small cast while a bandage on my cut. I've dealt with worse." The teacher's words made Ichika unsure of whether to even laugh or be sad at this point but he pushed it aside and fed the man his meal, Merle already feeling uncomfortable to be fed with help but he didn't show it instead tasting the food.

"Well that's delicious, where did you get this?"

"The hostess, she heard what happened although we did simplify it into a fight and so she gave you some food to help you recover faster."

"Huh." Merle said nothing though as he kept his thoughts private, letting Ichika feed the poor man before he saw his girlfriend walk by the room her face showing worry while her phone was pressed against her ear as Yamada turned to address her but fell silent when she saw Chifuyu's eyes narrow and close letting out a sigh of annoyance clicking her tongue.

"Yes, I understand but the pilots are only in training they can't possibly handle this task-"She was cut off as she bit her tongue the voice sounding a bit panicked and slightly pleading before the woman rubbed her forehead groaning a sharp crisp 'fine' before the phone was turned off, Chifuyu already had her eyes on Ichika and Merle who caught her look as she confirmed both of their suspicions.

"Ichika, apparently we're going to send you out on a real mission. Class A and highly dangerous, you and the girls will have to rest up immediately and go on standby while I and Yamada sort out just how this is going to go down. In the meantime though, stay here with Merle I'll call you when the time comes." Chifuyu said with a lot more worry and concern as she walked off with Yamada in tow, the woman giving Merle a smile of assurance that she would take care of her superior before joining the dark-haired teacher leaving Ichika still stunned by the news whereas Merle didn't reply at all to that, his eyes narrowed at the mention of a Class A before he looked up to Ichika getting his attention with a cough.

"Ichika." Seeing the boy turn to face him Merle gave the boy a worried glance, speaking his mind. "Class A missions are the highest ranking missions you should never get until you leave the academy, so if that is the case I suspect one thing: right now we're in the middle of it and they can't turn to anyone else due to distance."

"H-Huh?" Ichika couldn't believe what he was hearing as he tried to process this sudden information before Merle just struggled with the urge to bring his paralyzed hand up to his forehead instead letting out a breath.

"That means that whatever it is, you have to be careful…this isn't the training or tournament fields anymore and now that means your training under me is needed more than ever." Merle said with a glance downwards at his lower body. Ichika meanwhile felt his throat tighten as he gained more understanding of his situation and clenched his fists a determined look on his face.

"This won't end badly as you think, Merle-san. I know you're showing concern but as of now rest, it doesn't help if you worry so much about things you can't have a hand in." Ichika said making the man frown at his bluntness but it lasted for a brief moment before he went back to his normal laidback attitude his concern gone.

"Make it back safely, that's all I'm asking but more importantly…look out for Houki."

"Houki? Why would you…" Ichika wanted to ask before Merle narrowed his eyes at the boy, a serious glance meant a big issue for the teacher as he stated firmly and cryptically.

"Whatever you do, watch her eyes."

End

Author's notes: Hey guys this is the corner where I speak about this chapter, so about Amasa… well dude is a bit crazy and as you can see he has some inconsistencies with his story, even the minor details have changed. His personality in my mind is meant to be the twisted killer no more no less, and yes I have finally made a character who can somewhat unlock the locks off the box…thank my imagination that I could make that happen.

What's in the box? No matter, right now it's all about Natasha Fairs and the Silver Gospel.

Anyways like I said assignments and all that are slowing me down but I will find time to let out another chapter, hopefully I can make the Silver Gospel fight more interesting and Amasa will still be seen time to time.

Well that is all from me, see ya'll in the next IS Valkyrie!


	22. Strength, Someone I call family

IS Valkyrie

Author's Notes: This is pretty much a chapter dedicated to the time before the fight, and of course you all know what this means…time for the girls to strike! Ok, with Amasa there will be a cameo of a different series character, guess who it is by reading on though the name spoils everything. To note though, this character will not have a significant impact on the story...will be playing a minor role.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Infinite Stratos universe or characters except for Merle.

With Ichika, Briefing room

"I'm here, Chifuyu-nee." Ichika said as he took a seat, the boy going into a seiza position as he took in a deep breath trying to remain calm while his sister noticed his fidgeting but had no comment on it instead turning towards the other occupants in the room. The room was typical of the Japanese traditionally designed room with a table sitting in the middle while Chifuyu's back was turned to an amount of screens that was moved along with the luggage into a separate room just for the occasion of such a scenario, one that Chifuyu had hoped not to use anytime in her career. However life decided it was a joke.

Sitting around the square table each with focus were the other additions to the pilots on standby, each of the girls holding a serious face to the situation though for Houki and Laura including Charles such an experience or personal upbringing for the matter was their normal expression to such an issue as Chifuyu turned back to see Yamada speak out from her seat concentrating on the screen.

"Chifuyu-san, we have a visual."

"Excellent. Now, we're going to begin the briefing. We have received a message from the USA concerning one of their own IS going on a rampage right now as we speak." The woman brought up the screen to focus on a small red dot being tracked making its way slowly at the shores of west America into the Pacific before another screen was enhanced and brought into view letting the girls and Ichika get a better visual of the target and the view stunned them. Clad in dull grey plating along with a much enhanced technological arsenal including a helmet over a head and body, was the target the scanner was tracking intently while Laura was the first to talk.

"Chifuyu-sama, that's a-!"

"Yes, from the outlook of it this IS looks just like the form the unmanned IS took when Ichika and Rin fought it in the arena not too long ago, however there is one difference." Ichika and Rin both ignored the woman's last words as they gulped their saliva while watching the machine memories of the fight from before hit them like a sharp blow, the latter looking paler than usual looking towards Ichika in concern seeing his hardened expression. Cecilia spoke up next, her eyes not taking itself off the screen.

"So what is the goal of the Americans, this is their style sure but to go as far as to even make an unmanned machine behind our backs…" Cecilia's words trailed off as Laura let out a 'hmph' at the British girl's own view before she cut right in, politics the last thought on her mind.

"Doesn't matter to me, if we are to combat this creature it is best to take it down with overwhelming force." Laura stated her red eye already analyzing the situation before her, it was the safest option the way she could see it though Cecilia let out a huff of protest at her strategy flipping one of her twin drills while glaring at the German pilot.

"Oh please, Germans think about using overwhelming force all the time. This strategy wouldn't work since we aren't team-compatible with one another in terms of skill…no we have to send a team who can co-ordinate with each other to take out this machine." Cecilia's words made Laura angry the German pilot now sending her own glare at the girl as she slammed her palms on the table while Cecilia eyed her protester with a crimson orb sharply cutting at her blue sapphire ones.

"I've done simulations of military operations so that makes me somewhat more experienced in the field rather than a daddy's girl who has huge political influence and plays with the politicians. This is a soldier's work and I suggest you try and follow that."

"And you're saying that you can lead such an operation without the respect of others?" Cecilia sneered back while Rin piped in her two cents worth in the argument looking at Laura.

"Cecilia's right, in any case you haven't yet reached the point of us trusting you yet and knowing you, we'll be left behind while you go trudging off to do whatever your plan is without telling us about it." Rin's words made Cecilia smile evilly back at the soldier who was gritting her teeth annoyed at their words but Houki's voice cut into the conversation all attention going to the girl who was not sitting instead opting to stand against the rice door behind Ichika who was unable to say anything in this topic of strategy, the Japanese bokken wielder folding her arms across her chest.

"It's not so simple for all of us, Laura…you're better than this to snap in front of a girl who is inexperienced like the rest of us." Her comment had a glare sent her way from the British girl who let out a huff before the next sentence caught her attention. "However in this case it seems that Cecilia is right, we do need a specialized team that can take down the rogue IS." Houki stated firmly as Laura frowned but ran the thought through her mind, on one hand while numbers could strain the rogue IS into being cornered and eventually taken out she took a glance around the room the silver-haired pilot seeing Rin and Cecilia having looks of mistrust aimed at her while Houki also had a hint in her eyes, but the girl didn't say anything about it which did emphasize the Japanese girl's point as Laura sighed.

"Hmm, you're right about that…I haven't earned your trust from last time but I can take Cecilia's strategy into consideration." Laura said without acknowledging Houki with a 'thanks' resuming her thinking while Charles raised her voice a question on her mind as she eyed Chifuyu.

"Chifuyu-sensei what is the model of the IS? I do not think a strategy could even work unless we know its type."

"3rd generation with some of the most high-tech arsenals they could arm it with. Rockets, lasers and energy field…the three aforementioned ones already deadly in combination but like I said that isn't the only part you all should have concern for regarding the IS." Chifuyu stated trying to steer the topic right back to the one point that she found interesting in the conversation with the US military, seeing Charles already going back to quiet while the rest had their attention on her before she let loose the next thing that shocked the room.

"That…isn't an unmanned IS machine." The room went silent considerably as Yamada too stopped her clacking on the keyboard her focus on Chifuyu but kept her eyes on the screen her eyes betraying her surprise at the fact as the room waited for Chifuyu's next words.

"It seems that during the whole testing process, a pilot was in it and due to unforeseen circumstances had been test piloting the IS when something happened to activate the safety backup protocol, and makes the IS go berserk flying off with the pilot still inside." Chifuyu briefly said as the occupants felt a silence fall on them now, the new circumstance making their own task difficult in its own right before the teacher decided to cut the tension in the briefing turning her back to the screen so not to betray her own thoughts regarding her brother as Ichika gave her a concerned look.

"You all can leave right now, I want to speak with Ichika privately in the room but stay alert as I will be keeping an eye on the progress and also just how far the rogue IS has gone. Yamada, try to contact the pilot and tell her to regain control of the IS." She said to the green-haired woman as she nodded clacking some keys into the computer while Chifuyu pointed to the other side of the room Ichika following her into the room next door where only a table laid out in the center of the space with pillows acting as seats, the siblings settling down away from prying eyes.

"Chifuyu-nee…" Ichika started but his sister beat him to it.

"Ichika, I don't want you to take any risks here. If you are in grave danger or in a life and death struggle with this IS suit, then at all costs…retreat with Houki," she paused as she saw Ichika about to make a retort before she glanced at him worriedly. "Please Ichika, I want to have my brother alive and well not as some corpse for the morgue so promise me that you will look out for yourself and Houki when you're out there." Ichika couldn't even speak, his eyes widened in slight shock at her words but soon relaxed himself to smile and place a hand on his sister's shoulder calming her slightly as he looked straight at her orange eyes.

"I won't do anything stupid, I had the best teachers that no one can replace and I always wanted our family to be together again…guardian or not." Ichika stated proudly, stunning his sister before Chifuyu let out a suppressed giggle at his words unable to help herself while a hand covered her mouth.

"You sound just like Merle already, I have to say it's been a year and he suddenly managed to warm up to you so quickly…he has a talent for this." Chifuyu said when she recovered from her small bout of humor, Ichika nodding his head as he recalled a particular session before the tournament with Laura the memory coming to mind.

_Flashback_

"_Hey, I think it's time to relax a bit…all that theory should be getting on your nerves by now." Merle said with a hint of playfulness as Ichika put his textbook down on the bed covers, letting out a sigh of content as the new information swam around in his brain the teacher moving to the kitchen area to cook something light for the both of them, at least to satisfy their hunger until dinner that is. Reaching into the cabinet Merle took out the eggs and a few slices of bread from the same spot and putting them aside while he prepared the stove for the meal._

"_So, I told Chifuyu about your bout with Laura alongside the other three." Merle began but left the statement hanging in the air hearing nothing from the boy as Ichika put a hand over his eye, the eyeball feeling the strain of his study noticing his vision blurring from just eyeing the black text as memories of the fight came back to him the boy feeling a wave of depression._

"_It's hard to even try and achieve strength when someone can just take it from you like that." Ichika commented on the situation, nothing but self-condemnation appearing before him before Merle cut that thought out of the boy's mind._

"_Look I don't know you at all but from the looks of it, I would say you feel you should shoulder the burden of causing your friends hurt by that Laura chick…I get that, but you know it's stupid to even think or mull over it. There isn't a point." _

"_I know that, how many times have I told myself that? I mean Houki didn't seem to respect me when we were at the training dojo, Cecilia is doing her best to cheer me up along with Rin but I don't even remotely know what to say or do." _

_Since the incident he had talked with each of the girls only once, though mostly he had met them during the meal times but otherwise he was going often to Merle for training something that the man recognized as the 'brooding' stage of Ichika's life when his strength is tested and fails to overcome. Not that Merle couldn't blame him for it, at a time in his earlier life he too wondered if he was to blame for his father's descent into depraved tortures as well as curses against his own son screaming and spitting at him…it still surfaced once in a while but Merle kept it at bay though prayer, his only defense against the nightmares._

"_Well, Ichika do you want to express your whole-hearted detest for your new-found strength?" Merle chided lightly as Ichika gave a sigh, flopping back onto Merle's bed as he watched the wall separating the two beds with some wonder. It wasn't that he never trusted Merle or that he was getting back at Merle for his earlier secrets, but to spill his feelings about this whole situation was somewhat difficult for him…as a man in that aspect of behavior, he was taught or more like heard from his friends to be a man was to be not seen as weak which meant your problems are kept to yourself._

"_I can't say it, a man thing."_

"_Pride then." Merle said casually as he flipped the cooked eggs into the air and into the pan, his eyes never leaving the slightly bubbling egg whites while he did the next step dipping the slices of bread with a bowl filled with beaten stirred egg, making sure to cover it fully as he smacked it onto the pan his head tilted away from the hiss of oil splashing over the place staining the hairs on his arms. "Well, I can say that strength is something and a gift but it is a curse when you let things become obsessions." _

"_So, Ichika…want to train with me a little bit somewhere at 8 or so, for an hour. I want to see if your kendo skills are no longer sub-par as before." Merle commented as Ichika nodded, their classes had ended earlier for the preparation of the tournament and more off days had been given to students to prepare their suits and upgrade when possible. It would have been more time-consuming for Ichika if his IS had not been a prototype whose bias against any weapon than its own sword was well known, the boy getting up to the kitchen smelling something fried in the air as Merle went to the beds to open the sliding door to the balcony, allowing the wafting smell to leave quicker._

"_Okay time to eat some pre-dinner!" He said as they dug in, enjoying the quiet atmosphere._

_An hour later_

"_C'mon Ichika, swing it like you mean it but control it well! Don't let your body follow along with the sword!" Merle chanted again as Ichika nodded sweat sticking to his body as the two exchanged some practice swings at each other, Ichika in his kendo stance while his teacher held the sword facing the ground backwards while his body was in a streamlined stance leaving his shoulder and side only exposed. The Japanese boy gave a deep breath before he charged in swinging with purpose, but the man's weapon seem to deflect and slide the bokken away leaving the boy breathless and stunned not sure of what strategy to employ to break his opponent's guard._

"_Hey Ichika, you're not too bad with the katana and I can see why Houki respects you deeply." The assistant teacher commented as he deflected another blow and moved to the side, not noticing the katana already on the move into a swinging arc at his chest and only a tap registered the end of the round before Merle lowered his practice cutlass and clapped his hands twice satisfaction on his face._

"_Well done you have struck me a couple of times during this session, you deserve two days without the books or maybe just tomorrow will do…you have a tournament after all!" Merle congratulated the man with a sense of genuine happiness at the progress while Ichika nodded, his eyes going to his body to find that he wasn't feeling as tired as he did when he first sparred with Merle the boy hiding a smile while he replied._

"_Thanks Merle, you really helped me with my stamina it's getting better and I don't feel as tired as compared to the last time."_

"_No problem, you deserve that break it's the least I could do." Merle waved at Ichika to go ahead as he sat down on the floor pulling out the pocket bible he picked up from a street person attempting to spread the word of God, he was out scouting the city and apparently he found a church to go to on Sundays with Chifuyu always making sure he was able to make it out of the campus and straight towards the city volunteering to drive him there. Merle would have had his ties not been to an international criminal and the government restricting his movements there while they sorted things out, Chifuyu of course vouching for his protection._

"_Merle-san, there's something I want to ask you…a personal question." Now that raised an eyebrow from the man as he turned another page of his bible._

"_Hmm? What is it, Ichika my friend? Did something happen so quickly already?"_

"_No, I was just wondering…about with Laura and the fight." Ichika stated nervously as Merle caught on to what he was going to ask, the man keeping silent as he closed his book stuffing it back into his pocket for later while he answered directly._

"_I was given a gift, and it served me well. But it's not that revolutionary or anything…just that Tabane had it lying around somewhere." He simply explained, not able to come up with a more detailed answer of how Tabane could even come up with this random design. Ichika nodded but his look told Merle that it wasn't the true point he wanted to throw across so the teacher folded his arms in thought casting his eyes on the boy._

"_So what's really happening with you? Houki was expressing concern to me about how you were the past days, in fact I had a run-in with Cecilia and Rin who also had a worried look about them concerning you." Merle's word made Ichika flinch at them, he was suspecting that the girls would have noticed his behavior already or Charles just spoke to them out of concern for him…he hadn't been the same since he recalled how Laura could even manhandle him and throw him out like a doll, it made him realize a little something about his strength._

"_Ichika, are you even listening to what I'm saying right now? Why are you so worried about the fight between you and Laura?" _

"_I…" Ichika wanted to speak but instead found his tongue catching itself in his throat, a stray thought coming to his mind. Who was Merle to even advice or guide him, when his training had clearly failed to teach him strength and focused on other things…he wanted to get stronger not rot with a weakness somewhere while his friends and close ones were hurt._

_Even so, Merle couldn't guess what the boy was thinking instead he patted Ichika on the shoulder briefly speaking a single sentence to the hesitant boy._

"_Ichika, strength is a beast that will never say 'enough'…if you honestly wish to chase it, I don't recommend it and know that what I teach you actually meant something even if it wasn't that day, it will help you then so stay strong for yourself…you are just too noble sometimes you forget about yourself." He imparted his words before he left, closing the door behind him leaving Ichika to ponder on those words in the empty dojo._

"Ichika…Ichika, are you there?" Chifuyu said snapping Ichika out of his thoughts before he turned to eye his sister with a dazed look.

"Huh? Oh, I'm fine sis…thanks for asking but don't worry about me okay?" Ichika said with no hint of pleading to betray his true emotions at this point, Chifuyu sternly eyeing him briefly before she complied standing up to move back to the control room eyeing him only for a second when she closed the door. Confident that he was truly alone, Ichika felt his depressing thoughts seep back through his mind as he slumped onto his back facing the ceiling trying to cast them away while he closed his eyes in defiance of those thoughts echoing endlessly.

"Strength…is it truly so necessary for me to obsess over such a thing even though I wish to not be as weak as back then? What is wrong with wishing for such a thing, Merle?"

With Amasa

"I can't believe I'm going to do this…but I need help." Amasa spoke to himself as he tapped the numbers into his Iphone, the familiar tooting of the phone sounding in his ear briefly before a click and a very youthful voice sounded brightly over the phone.

"Is it Amasa, my favorite client?" The voice sang to Amasa while the man had to hold in his chuckle, the man flipping the TV off with the remote and threw it into the ice bucket as he spoke.

"It's been a while since we last met...Miss Hekmatyar of the HCLI. I hope you have enjoyed a pleasant bottle of wine I sent you as a gift?"

"Oho, that was you? I was kinda hoping for one of those teddy-bear snacks with chocolate in them!" The newly named Hekmatyar spoke with a childish squeal making the man clench his ear in sheer pain at the annoying reception replying smoothly while he drank a cup of water. Believe it or not, Hekmatyar was one of the best arms dealers that Amasa could come across in his time with Phantom Task working under Squall, it gave him the best pay and he was one of her leading lieutenants besides Autumn causing jealous glances by said woman…and a good soldier needs good weapons, so it was a miracle to him when he stumbled upon the HCLI group led by one Koko Hekmatyar who was willing to give him weapons and his up-front cash methods and true to reputation, Koko is not one to disappoint when calling in the guns. Somehow though one way or another his interaction with Koko for the one month in Europe soon struck something in her, and she began to call him her father figure besides her lieutenant Lehm…to say he was uncomfortable was an understatement for his personality.

"So, Hekmatyar…I wish to ask if the request for the weapons I asked is being delivered to me soon, I have a schedule to make do with."

"Don't sweat it Amasa in fact I should have one of my contacts giving it to you soon when they arrive at the island tomorrow!" The woman spoke with a wave of her hand, grabbing a glass to pour in the said bottle of wine in wile she held the phone to her ear hearing some static before it cleared up just as Amasa started talking.

"That's good to hear but the reception is kinda bad, where are you at now?" Koko paused, her shining bleak eyes staring off into the dark sky from her seat taking a sip while staring out of the porthole window, her eyes shifting around the plane where her team sat quietly in scattered positions.

"Oh in South Africa, we're just about to leave for Europe to get some deals done…and you? What are you even doing nowadays, Amasa boy! I've been missing your calls and stuff when I would talk to you about my work and other stuff, and you would regale me with humorous bedtime stories." The albino woman pouted as Amasa felt his hardened gaze lift from its serious state and his lips curled upward in slight humor, his eyes closed briefly before he opened them again speaking with a more relaxed tone as he sat in his chair a look of recollection at memories.

"Is that right? How about now, I mean it is night time and you would feel bored without a story." Hearing his words, Koko suddenly jolted upwards her mood if not already through the roof was beginning to launch into the sky the albino arms dealer giving off a cute nostalgic smile.

"Yay, a story from Amasa is the greatest story of any other story! Shall it be the continuation of the last one, or is it a completely new one you are planning right now? Oh, I can't wait!" She shouted in joy over the phone stunning some passengers in the plane she was actually on, some heads shaking or simply shrugged and leaned back to rest while Amasa simply smiled.

"Okay, settle down or you don't get your story tonight." Hearing the rustle of the woman preparing her blanket, throwing it up to her chest and pulled the chair back into a reclined position hearing a small yelp behind her which she ignored the arms dealer giving a happy sigh which was an invisible signal for Amasa to begin a new tale spinning from the webs of his creative mind, the man drinking another glass of water speaking comfortingly to the albino-haired woman.

"Very well, I'll start with a new tale then…it is about a tale of a boy and his mirrored self."

With Ichika

"Sigh, only a few more hours…"

Ichika heard some footsteps as his words trailed off, the boy turning his head back to glance at the hallway catching sight of his first childhood friend standing beside him looking out at the koi pond in the middle enjoying the afternoon reflection still dressed in her uniform.

"Can't stop worrying about today's mission?"

"Mhm."

"So do you want to talk about it, Ichika?" Houki asked only to have Ichika smile in reassurance at her with a fake smile.

"No, its fine really I just want some time alone-"

"Cut the crap, Ichika. Don't play around with me." Houki's words instantly dashed his own attempt to dismiss the matter, the Japanese girl plopping beside him sitting on the wooden floor bare feet on the dirt while she stared at the koi pond seeing a fish head jut out breaking the surface before she stared at Ichika who was honestly a little worried now.

"Ichika, do you trust me as a childhood friend?"

"Houki you know that I care and give you trust." Ichika said tiredly, rubbing his eye with a fist Houki nodding affirmatively at that looking at her hand just a few inches away from her crush's own both cupping the floorboard as her heart jumped a beat.

"Then you know that you can talk to me, we did promise no secrets." She retorted.

"It's nothing, really…" Ichika weakly said as Houki gave a sigh at his protest.

"You're like a wimp, you know that sometimes? This concerns me too as a friend and your partner for this mission if anything is distracting you we both could be in danger." Houki muttered, suppressing just then to say 'potential lover' in that statement concerning her…she did not want to turn into Laura anytime soon. Seeing no reaction from Ichika made Houki sigh and get up from her seat, not looking back at Ichika who kept silent as she left the Japanese girl feeling hurt at his lack of trust in telling her anything, Houki unknowingly brushing against a silver-haired girl going in the direction of Ichika her red eye twinkling with an emotion unknown to her.

Meanwhile Ichika was thinking over what was happening to him, sure he was excited for his first mission but yet in the end the results of his training had made not much sense…why was it that every time he displayed his strength he was defeated anyway? In fact, Ichika wasn't even certain how he managed to get Laura out of her IS had Char not given him her energy to finish the fight it felt like chance.

"What is strength then? Is it allies, is it just keeping things from others to protect yourself or…I don't understand."

"Understand what, wife?" The new voice cut deep into his thoughts as Ichika turned to the side seeing none other than Bodewig looking down at him with a slightly disgusted and concerned expression, the boy cut his moping to focus on his visitor.

"Oh hi Laura what are you doing-"

*Smack!*

"Ow! Laura what the-" Ichika wanted to speak out against the sudden punch to his face, the boy cradling his cheek which was beginning to grow sore before Laura folded her arms.

"Wife, I heard you wondering about some concerning things so I decided to investigate. So what is your problem, is it about the mission or is something distracting you from preparation?" Laura's term struck a blow to Ichika's pride, the word 'wife' stuck in his head like some demeaning put-down before Laura spoke again sitting on the floor a hand over her stretched knee.

"Laura why did you hit-"

"Answer the question, Orinmura." Laura's sudden voice became like sharp daggers cutting his words as the boy internally panicked trying to pick his words carefully when he saw her orb narrow.

"I feel…like I'm weak." He said uncertainly, suddenly flinching back when he said the words a wave of disgust filling his throat shrinking back from Laura while he continued.

"I don't know, but this whole mission has so much riding on me and Houki but I'm proud to go and protect people…though my strength and seeing Phoenix…" Laura raised an eyebrow before she caught on to his words, the soldier closing her eyes and brought a hand to her forehead.

"Ichika." Laura once again said uncharacteristically, her hands grabbing Ichika's sides of his head and without warning jerked him towards her and put her mouth to his ear while the shocked boy struggled with her iron grip, afraid of what might happen before her words threw him off.

"Ichika, you're not as weak as you say you are. In fact, although I don't want to admit it you are a strong individual to me." Ichika felt confused now, Laura the tank-bred soldier who was trained from birth for the art of war and combat as well as the toughest and strongest person he knew in his year was admitting he was the strongest? What was going on here?

"I-I don't understand-" Ichika struggled to breathe before Laura released her grip on his head and brought it to face her, the boy couldn't help but stare in awe at her under the shade of the walkway a silver bang covering part of her visible eye.

"Ichika why do you think I was strong and where did you think I got my strength? I didn't earn it, the genes provided sufficient material to give me this strength and the intellect of a veteran soldier for life…I didn't even know who the donors for the DNA were but I wasn't born to live my life free and know it. I was bred for war and know only the strength of survival."

"I was actually going through the motions before I met you, your sister gave me that hope of freedom from the military but she left just as quickly. I didn't understand the 'strength' you held until I faced you in combat and when my thirst for power amplified into that…thing," Laura paused looking away from Ichika for a second before she looked back at him. "I thought that was it for me, I was to be consumed by my own carnivorous strength. But you saved me, you rescued me out of that dark hole I buried myself in and you told me with your eyes I was special just like how Chifuyu-sama did." The silver-haired girl spoke softly to the male pilot, Ichika couldn't help but feel a tinge of red across his face as Laura let out a humorous puff of air at herself her red eye glancing over at the pond.

"You're so sensitive Ichika…wife." Her last word made Ichika groan in frustration about how he would get her to stop this, but what stunned him next was the fact that her face moved into his own, Ichika not able to escape as he felt her tongue invade his throat giving him a kiss. The male pilot groaned out, trying to keep his senses from overloading as he tapped Laura's shoulder only to be ignored by the soldier pushing him onto the ground as she released her lips from his own leaving him shocked and blushing madly that he was underneath her, the girl using her hands to block his path while staring weirdly at him a tinge of red faintly visible on her cheeks.

"And it is your sensitivity and care for others that hold the strength inside of you…something that makes you what you are and it is strong." She spoke in a caring tone, letting one of her rare smiles come out into play as Ichika watched her rise from her position a finger tracing her lips with interest.

"Laura…when did you suddenly come up with those words?" Ichika asked in certain fascination snapping the soldier out of her thoughts, the girl simply had a light blush spreading and reddening as she spoke.

"W-Well, i-it's just that I thought about it and talked with Merle for a few days during your recovery and uh…we came to an understanding. Anyways, I imagine you need to speak to at least some of the girls…they're worried about you and it's best to do it before the mission." Laura said almost timidly making Ichika wonder just what did they talk about before the girl turned from him, letting out a breath of hot air and walked off calling out one last time for him as she turned the corner.

"Ichika, don't you ever call yourself weak again…or I will punch you harder than that!"

With Amasa

"…and so the boy found peace with his mirror, and the mirror went back to his realm confident that the boy would live his life justly and without evil…the boy would never forget his once in a lifetime encounter for the mirror shattered, ending his reflection's life. The end."

"Wow, Amasa I never thought you would be so good at such stories…you should be a storyteller or even a writer with this kind of skill." Koko commented as she yawned, the story was making her eyes droopy as she fought to stay awake now while Amasa chuckled as if he knew what was happening already.

"Okay Koko, time to sleep and enjoy the trip…you need it." He said and was about to hang up before the arms dealer suddenly piped in through the phone, the woman's concentration fading away.

"Hey Amasa…will I see you sometime?" Amasa could say nothing, for the woman fell asleep and without a hesitant second simply hung up the call and opening the message box texted a single word to her.

"_Yes."_

End

Author's Notes: Okay, guys this is the work I'm posting on the chapters let me know what you think. Also yes this is more about Ichika and his opinion of strength once again tested as he considers whether he should seek power, and I brought this up because honestly all those fights with him getting beat is going to affect your opinions and it will be registered sooner or later. I made Laura stand out more, because of this but honestly I would like to have Houki speak to him but the fact is that would not give the other girls a chance to show their stuff, though who is the soldier and the one taught to survive and not be weak? Laura.

And yes, I did just add the Jorumungand character Koko but of course their paths are not really going to cross this is a cameo though who knows, you might just see her soon…

Why did I do this? Am I not supposed to have Amasa as the 'loner and bloodthirsty loon'? Well if I wanted a character without development, I would but honestly I wanted to cast Amasa into the light of being a person who although hates his life is still viable to some good or capable of expressing emotions to people. Sometimes I wonder how characters no matter how messed up life is, don't they have someone or something they do this for, their life and actions defined by something? I put him with Koko, and if you think about it it is a good match...although Amasa killed his father, nothing is implied that he necessarily killed his mother or is explicitly saying he hated her and losing family has considerable effects and Koko for obvious reasons in regards to her dad.

Anyways, let me know what you think once again and tell me if this chapter is too much for you guys. See you and good night!

The VI


	23. Silver Gospel Come Forth, Rockets

IS: Valkyrie

Author's Notes: Well after all this time I'm back for a few more chapters. So guys are you ready for the next part? Hopefully, this takes place in the few hours before the launch of the mission and will cover the beginning part of the mission with a predictable end. Enjoy and have a good day, hope you guys are doing okay due to the Chile earthquake and stuff…

Without further ado, let's roll!

Disclaimer: I will never own Infinite Stratos, it is owned by the light novel writer.

_"Reality is covered by the web of constructs."_

* * *

><p>Chifuyu POV<p>

All she could think about right now was Merle, his wounded face echoing ripples in her mind as she clacked keys into the computer allowing a tracking of the IS which now slowed down considerably delaying the arrival time to the island by 2 hours or so, the woman stretching her arms in the air while her assistant teacher continued to type watching intently speaking to her without a single glance away from the screen.

"Chifuyu-san, perhaps you should get some rest I can handle the workload from here…" Yamada tried to stave her off the road of no return but instead all she could say was her usual reply to this tiresome discussion, looking at her colleague with her orange eyes.

"No, that's not necessary I can handle my own work you have to stay focused on that machine Yamada."

"Eh? But-"Yamada's protests show her deep concern and although it did humor Chifuyu slightly, the teacher still stood firmly onto her position regarding the topic. Call it her natural response or instinct to refuse help, but if there was something that Chifuyu really secretly disliked sometimes (it used to be even more profound before the appearance of Merle) was how people treated her like a helpless woman, and Yamada may be her colleague and friend but there were lines she was crossing in terms of her attitude.

"It's okay Yamada just focus on the IS until it arrives 10 miles from the island then inform me. I can do the rest of the work back at my room." Chifuyu said sternly, her orange eyes flickering to the screen reflection of her green-haired colleague who felt a shiver down her spine while she immediately backed off from the oncoming fight.

"No ma'am."

"Good to know, I'll see you when the IS comes around knocking." Chifuyu stated blankly as she grabbed her laptop moving out of the room into the open hallway, a cold breeze from the sea suddenly gusted through the hotel compound sweeping the layer of dust into the wide space Chifuyu shutting an eye as she moved to the opposite direction of where her room actually was, her mind already set on another destination in mind.

Five minutes later

"Merle, are you still awake? Merle?" Chifuyu curiously peeked into the room sliding the door to a minimum noting that the room still had its lights on but the man in the futon was sound asleep, snoring lightly as Chifuyu cautiously and silently opened the door to walk inside sliding the rice door behind her as she placed the laptop on the ground forgetting her job for the moment walking towards the sleeping man with a calm frown on his face. Chifuyu sat beside him looking over his face intently as she watched him sleep, a small smile while her orange eyes roamed over his body hidden under the covers before she resisted her trembling fingers.

"Tempting…but I'll pass, at least for now." Declaring that silently thanking God that she did not even have the extreme perversion to try and undress Merle, the woman immediately removed her hands which had wandered over the covers stroking where his chest was.

"Are you dreaming of something, Merle? I wonder what troubles you sometimes when you toss and turn like all those nights." She muttered still continuing her ministrations enjoying the light breeze of the afternoon sending a light shiver of cold into the room through the gaps of the doors.

Chifuyu never thought of how peaceful this would become, sitting in a room while tending to her unofficial boyfriend who was lying down sleeping peacefully for what could be seen as an eternity to her. Seeing him actually sleeping rather than resting did appease the woman, his normally tired attitude during classes was a lukewarm influence on how the day went but he tried to stay awake…she even at one point gave him pills to help him ease into sleep though he refused adamantly, saying he would make sure he could sleep. It took until the day he told her his feelings about his life that she realized the extent of his own despair at being able to do nothing as powers beyond his control continued to dictate and put him on a leash.

To say the least, she would make use of this time while the awaited moment arrived to stay by his side and watch over him.

* * *

><p>With Ichika<p>

"…" He said nothing as he made his way towards his destination seeing the female students move past him with giggles and waves, the boy pilot simply returned the gesture while mentally conjuring an image of scratching his head in wonder as the most recent group passed his way. Seeing that he was now alone in the hallway, the boy could frown without getting any more unintended thoughts of him being oppressive as he reached the intended room Ichika knocking lightly on the rice door waiting for five seconds.

"Coming, sorry for the short dela-Ichika?!" Ichika stepped back as the door was opened, but what he saw next would imprint itself into his mind for a long time.

Charlotte Dunois was standing at the entrance, in nothing but a bath towel covering her body and the front which covered her breasts slid downwards a little bit showing some cleavage. It didn't take long before Ichika immediately recovered and waved his hands frantically and frightfully in front of his face, the girl already beginning to have heat spread over her face as she blankly registered the finger from the boy pointing down at her towel, Charlotte following it to its intended spot.

"Ah…Ah…"

"AAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Charlotte squealed before her fist met Ichika's jaw, sending the poor boy flying into the shrubs nearby and the rice door slamming itself shut behind the scared girl leaving our poor protagonist in a crumpled heap and a huge bruise on his lower jaw the last strength of his vision looked up at the scared and trembling girl realizing just what she had done to him, the girl already by his side as Ichika felt the dark circles around his vision overcloud him muttering out his last words.

"Char…I'm sorry for…ugh."

10 minutes later

"Sorry about that Ichika, you startled me." Char spoke with an apologetic voice, the boy rubbing his jaw once more which was covered by a bandage covering his chin hissing in slight pain even though the alcohol swab had lessened the effects of the bruise, taking the cup of tea in his free hand and carefully putting the drink to his lips.

"No worries, Char though you could have just hid rather than punch my lights out for ten minutes." Ichika said with a flinch while Char again apologized for hitting him hard, the boy putting his hand out to stop her from going any further with the apologies trying to calm her worries with his trademark smile. "It's okay Char I feel fine you don't have to apologize all the time and besides I'm also at fault here…"

"Eh? But…thank you for that Ichika, having you visit me already is more than enough." Charlotte replied meekly, her hand scrunching the fabric of her one piece uniform at the hem showing off a little more of her upper thigh much to the boy's inner concern and fighting the urge to even stare.

"Uh yea…"

_She's actually cute like that-bad, Ichika, that's not good!_

Silence followed the conversation as the two could find nothing much to speak of instead leaving it all to the quiet afternoon breeze, sipping away at the tea while Ichika mulled over what was being said earlier to him by Laura in the hallway before the kiss came back to his memory and the boy immediately touched his lips in a thoughtful gesture, his mind suppressed the taunting imagery of the silver-haired girl's body over his while her one crimson colored eye looked down with a sense of pride and love. Meanwhile Charlotte was clutching her fingers into her palm, the nervousness of the situation beginning to impact on her own confidence the French pilot chewing her lower lip.

_C'mon, Charlotte this is your chance to even spend some time with Ichika and your lack of confidence is screwing it all up! You could talk to him normally when you were playing as a boy and this should be a piece of cake, _Charlotte thought to herself as she began to open her mouth regaining a small measure of her usual confidence drawing on her boyish and less shy side.

"Ichika, are you okay…your face is red." She stated as she watched with concern as Ichika snapped out of his reverie a blush on his cheeks, as he stuttered out his words eyes shifting elsewhere avoiding direct eye contact with Charlotte.

"Huh? Uh yea, I just was thinking about something I was discussing with Laura…" The mention of the tank soldier made Charlotte's ears perk up as she immediately went into a state of high alert, her eyes tracing his face motions right down to the very twitch of his eyebrows before a rising feeling in her womanly instincts began to boil Charlotte resisting the urge to even ask what was wrong.

"Oh no! I forgot to apologize to Houki for blowing her off and we're going on a mission soon!" Ichika's words suddenly struck the French girl who felt the rising steam to her head filled with mixed thoughts in a cocktail of jealousy vanish instantly, the worry and fear of the worst made her sigh in silent relief confident that she was just being delusional. However the moment of waiting didn't last as the door was flung open with Charlotte running to the outside of the rice door watching Ichika run down the walkway as the French girl pursued the boy, her impulse compelling the pilot as she called out to Ichika walking towards the main hall a hand stretched out.

"Wait, Ichika! Where are you rushing off to?!" Charlotte found no reply, the clueless boy already lost in his own world as his mind raced rapidly to find where his disappointed friend had ran off to.

_I am so stupid, how did I not recognize that face she made just before she left me there!_ Ichika thought to himself in self-blame as the flash of her eyes and frown met his memory, the boy moving down to the beach hoping to find her there followed by a blonde girl who was being followed from afar by two more shadows poking their eyes out from the post of the hotel and down at the pair.

"Eh, where is he going of too?" The two girls shared a look before both trailed behind their classmate and crush all the way to the beach.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile with Houki<p>

"Stupid Ichika, stupid." Houki pouted as she kicked a stone off the edge of the cliff overlooking the sea, the beach to her left while the right held several houses up in the hill road though overall the place was quiet allowing the Japanese girl to get some fresh air and silence. The girl discovered this place while she was scouting out the beach on the first day, leading to the small rocky road up here where a great view of the open sea filled her vision with the sun glare still shining bright for 3pm in the afternoon, she had done some meditation exercises while she attempted to simmer her anger at the most clueless and possibly the most densest boy she ever knew.

"Blowing me off about something self-angsty I bet, but not sharing it with me…what was he thinking? Not good enough to even use that damn smile." Houki muttered angrily to herself kicking another stone off the cliff into the water unable to hear the impact of the rock hitting the water, her thoughts going back to even before the trip was announced.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Flash! All of the backs!<strong>_

"_**Well class, great news…we're all going for a mid-year holiday trip for a short time of the term break!" Merle happily announced, the class bursting into excited mutters and squeals of joy when the man ended his words the teacher slapping the table to grab the girls' attention as the commotion grew silent.**_

"_**Okay now I know you guys are being absolutely positive about this but I haven't even got into the details yet…" Taking a bit of a breath as he looked briefly at Chifuyu who was already looking the other way from him a look of building stress in her own mind at whatever the man could say next, something that made Houki shiver a little. Over the past few times when Merle would take over the class things usually went down south pretty quickly, and although the class excelled in their grades for the half-mark due to his unorthodox tactics contributing to some degree it was a quirk in Houki's opinion that Merle would take the time to actually diss Ichika due to his male and single status…in fact thanks to him even the seniors were petitioning him and Chifuyu both to allow them to date Ichika and secretly this made Houki worried about the other girls in her own class who had lustful looks shot at him since the first time he stepped into the classroom a few months back. **_

_**Speaking of Ichika…**_

"_**So my advice for today when you guys are given some time to go out into town is to choose carefully what you wish to wear to the beach that is there." Merle's emphasis on the second part did not go unnoticed by the sharp witted women, the girls immediately grinning twisted smiles some even laughing viciously to themselves as Merle ignored the glare that was gazing at him intensely from the side as he continued.**_

"_**Anyways, the form for your parents is on the desk which you guys have to fill out and bring to your parents to make sure they know where you all are. Those who can't make it have to speak to me or Chifuyu about the arrangement and we can keep track of the roll going on the trip, though I won't be so slow if I was you I still have to pick out a swimsuit for someone special." He said the last words in a whisper, Houki already tuning off her mind after the instruction and instead focused on the tense boy sitting at the front of the desk unsure of what he was thinking as her eyes narrowed noticing a visible break in his mask, the sight made her cringe.**_

_His face, something isn't right with him for the past few days even after saving Laura and even though he has been talking to everyone normally he is still troubled by something else, __**the Japanese girl noted mentally before she glanced over at Merle who was already dismissing the class the man noticing her stare and in return gave her a subtle hint with his eyes to go over to Ichika and try to talk to him, the girls mostly taking the forms and running out of the room excited to fill it up in their dorms with Laura and Cecilia both giving each other a glare before they took their forms and stormed out of the room each using a separate entrance to avoid contact. Houki didn't blame either one, well only more so with Laura and her previous treatment of the others making her seem evil to the rest of the first years who witnessed some of her brutality and it didn't earn the soldier many friends except for Ichika who of course, due to his own personality for being caring allowed her to hang around with him and the others. Of course naturally, Rin and Cecilia didn't take it well and got into an argument whereas Charlotte was simply taking the chance to speak to Ichika for a bit.**_

"_**Ichika." Houki tried to clear her throat, making sure that her voice wasn't as combative as the boy turned away from Charlotte who was speaking to him about something though from the look of surprise and a shy glance away, Houki had a good idea as she shot the blonde woman a warning glare while speaking to her childhood friend. "I need to talk with you a while, are you free?"**_

"_**Uh, yea…sure Houki, I always have time for my friends." Ichika stated as he rose up from his chair and went to the desk grabbing two forms and handing one to her, the Japanese girl smiling at the thoughtful gesture as she took it.**_

"_**Thank you, now shall we?" Houki asked as the two exited the room leaving Charlotte glaring at the pair with a tint of jealousy while Merle was already being pulled by the ear with Chifuyu having a bored expression on her face as she muttered something about excluding him from all classes and actually daring to push his boundaries.**_

_**With the duo**_

"_**Ichika, I wanted to ask you about something that's been on my mind already for a while."**_

"_**Go ahead, I'm listening Houki." The boy replied kindly to Houki who had a serious face addressing the point straight to him, coming to a halt in her step.**_

"_**Ichika are you remotely okay today?" The question seemed to have a profound effect on the boy, Ichika's face broke from the mask for a few seconds as he stopped in mid-stride before he turned back to face Houki with a false smile trying to dissuade her from the subject.**_

"_**Yeah I never felt better than usual Houk it's okay, I'm just feeling tired that's all."**_

"_**Not buying it for a second, Orimura. What's really bothering you?" Houki put on an extremely cross gaze as Ichika internally gave a sign of panic with his trembling finger betraying for a short second his true emotions as Houki crossed her arms looking at the younger Orimura who then clenched his face in a tense expression and walked away from her, the Japanese girl shocked by his actions as she reached forward and grabbed Ichika by his sleeve unaware of the reaction that she would get.**_

"_**Not now Houki, please I have something to think about." He said in protest as he shook his arm away from her grip and walked towards the stairs to his room ignoring her concerned look.**_

* * *

><p>Present<p>

"Ichika…what is getting you so distracted now? Is something the matter that I can't seem to help you with?"

"Houki!" Ichika called after the girl, making Houki turn behind a surprised look on her face towards the boy she was already thinking about as she crossed her arms wondering just what his problem was as the clueless hero scratched the back of his head breathing heavily as he struggled to get his words out to the girl as Houki felt nothing but pure confusion and an angered look to her eyes.

"Houki…I knew I would find you here." He said as Houki glared straight at his soft eyes in return, she had not known what caused him to snap but she was going to find out straight from his mouth as the boy looked up.

"What are you playing at, Ichika?" Houki said sternly forgoing all kindness and softness in her tone shocking Ichika who simply stared at her with a confused face as he showed a lack of understanding to what was going on.

"Houki what are you saying-"He moved one step towards her and Houki only gave him a cold stare freezing the helpless boy in his place Ichika already trying to say something but Houki cut him off her voice telling him enough about her own emotions towards him.

"What the hell Ichika, I am your friend…not only that your **first** childhood friend and your-" Houki caught herself on the next word before she coughed and continued as if nothing had ever happened. "I mean I'm your damn friend and you blow me off for something that is troubling you, just like that. So what is troubling me so much? Just look at yourself and ask what just happened to yourself…what were you thinking?" She pushed forcibly against Ichika who was beginning to understand the impact of his action on her own feelings as he slapped himself mentally, of course she was a girl who had a rough patch of feeling weak as well and he had just ignored it completely! He was so absorbed in his opinion of his own strength that he slipped and forgot all about her.

"Houki, I want to say I'm so sorry-" He was about to finish before a loud bleep alerted them as Ichika took out a communicator and pressed the tone, surprised when it was his own sister calling them over the phone a hint of worry as Houki listened in as well.

"Ichika, Houki. The rogue IS's on the way now, change into your pilot gear and go straight towards the direction of South America as it is closing in on our position." Chifuyu's voice turned off as Ichika and Houki glanced at each other and nodded, their personal feelings pushed aside for the moment as they descended the slope and ran into Charlotte who was waiting at the bottom much to Ichika's surprise but it amplified when he looked behind her seeing two more figures standing a distance away from the beach before making their way over to him revealing to be Cecilia and Rin who were out of breath and holding up a communicator while Charlotte spoke worriedly.

"Ichika, I heard the message from Chifuyu and the rogue IS-!" Charlotte said as Ichika nodded in reply telling her that he already received it, his eyes moving towards the horizon where the IS would be arriving through for a moment before he wasted no time in rushing to the hotel with the others close behind.

* * *

><p>10 minutes later, coast of the island<p>

"Where is it? Do you guys see it, Ichika? Houki, any other progress on finding the IS unit?" Chifuyu asked over the screen as Ichika and Houki flew over the large body of water known as the Pacific, both pilots opening up their scanners to detect the objective while Houki reported back their status.

"All clear, no sign of the rogue IS unit yet. Anyways, Chifuyu-sensei…how is the mission going to proceed?" Houki asked in turn as Yamada came online.

"The objective of a rogue IS unit would be to destroy it, but with a pilot inside of the unit controlling it or otherwise it is a hard thing to say. The Americans have called for us to attempt to disable the unit without harming their pilot at all so this will be a tough battle." Yamada warned the two as Ichika opened up his channel and spoke into the screen straight at Yamada and his sister's faces brimming with determination.

"We won't let anyone else get hurt, count on it." Houki could not help but feel a tinge of red at his declaration while Chifuyu who noticed this smirked inwardly, aware of the thoughts that are racing through her head as she pushed her humor aside for the mission.

"Well if you have visual or even so much a minor ping on the radar do let us know while we keep surveillance for additional disturbances." With that Chifuyu switched off the communications and patted Yamada on the shoulder to let her know she was going to get some air, the teacher nodding in silent reply as Chifuyu closed the rice door to the main computer room and sat down in the nearby room where a tea set was prepared already for her, the woman sensing that it was the work of Yamada no doubt guessing she wanted some way to blow some tension in the meantime as she smiled internally thanking her assistant for the drink pouring a cup.

"This tea is good…jasmine from the looks of the color." She surmised as she downed the drink slowly making sure to reduce the intake of the fresh hot liquid calming her own aching nerves while her thoughts went towards her brother, remembering the conversation from earlier as she squeezed her eyes tightly praying silently that he would come home to her safe. Ever since her parents left her, she had no time to even pray or much less have the time to ponder the idea of a God up there…her mother was an enthusiast for the topic of religion and it seemed that nothing about other cultures truly satisfied her curiosity when she found that they were, in her words, "a bunch of neatly weaved lies that could string along even the most logical of men" and those words were something whether intentional or not that Chifuyu took with her during the dark period of her time raising her brother and even attending his graduation ceremony and various other things he did, sacrificing time to make sure he was cared for and still feel the presence of a family. She truly saved no expense for hatred of whatever gods and self-proclaimed good things happening if she believed in them, it wasn't as if a figurine could bless her home or bring her parents back…and the hatred grew for religion.

Truthfully, when she had heard that Merle was a practitioner of Christianity she was skeptical towards him and his motives for even showing up at the right time to save her brother although she could not prove it, though as time went on she could see that he was zealous but not to the extremities in terms of a radical at least and also the teachings he would listen to in tapes he acquired from street preachers intrigued her very much so. She could recall one time she asked him about it.

_**Flash the back once again!**_

"_**Merle, what is that?" **_

"_**Oh what am I listening to? It's a sermon by one of the pastors in the church around here, I was hoping to at least maintain my relationship to God this way." Merle smiled briefly at her as he continued to play the sermon not a gesture for her to leave or stay, Chifuyu deciding to hang around a little since it was a Saturday and she and Ichika weren't planning on going home for the period until the trip to the island. Listening in on the sermon she heard the following words that was being said by the pastor who was preaching about Peter and the Ethiopian ambassador, Merle silently had his hands folded into a triangle while a steely concentration on his face.**_

"_**Merle?"**_

"_**Huh? Oh, it's nothing I was being distracted by the words of the pastor. He's very passionate when he speaks and I get very absorbed into his teachings." The assistant teacher replied back as he stopped the tape, putting it aside as he patted the surface of his neatly folded bed letting her sit beside him.**_

"_**So what was that all about?" Chifuyu asked in curiosity seeing his face tilt in question. "The sermon, what was it about?" **_

"_**Ah, well about that…" Merle hummed before he began to recount what he heard.**_

_**End of flash back**_

She couldn't really share what went on in that conversation, but that encounter brought something to her that she did not even think about. She wasn't a lover of religion and yet here she was attempting, if not confirmed already, dating this deeply religious man…it didn't make sense to her how this would fit their relationship if both of them were unable to agree on something so obviously precious to Merle. The boat talk too reaffirmed her own belief that her disagreement would affect Merle, but she wasn't sure of what it could be.

"_**Sometimes it is better to pray to God either way for someone to be safe and protected." **_ Merle's voice rang in her head as Chifuyu placed her cup on the set, her thoughts set on that one statement by him while a hot puff of air escaped her lungs. It didn't hurt to try, for her own brother's sake and the dangerous waters he was treading in as she closed her eyes like how Merle would do so when he was about to sleep and clasped her hands.

"Please, God…whatever happens out there, don't let him die. Let him come home safe and sound to me and Merle." She muttered in a rare moment of lowering her guard praying, the woman feeling a measure of peace flowing into her mind as her worries suddenly vanished into vapor making Chifuyu loosen her shoulders slightly.

If she had listened carefully to herself after her words, she would have heard the faint whisper of a person in the back of her head speaking of a silent promise that her brother and her were in good hands.

* * *

><p>With Ichika and Houki<p>

"I am surprised at how fast the government cleared out this zone where the rogue IS unit is." Ichika commented as they continued to fly around the area searching out for the unit as Houki nodding in reply.

"That's true, I have heard how quick they set no fly or sail zones quickly but this scale is ridiculous showing how much they value not having people get hurt." She commented as they flew across the sea, Ichika already feeling quite uncomfortable with the conversation back at the cliff and a feeling of apology beginning to surface as he inclined his head towards Houki who was busy staring around the environment checking her surroundings.

"Houki I want to say-" He began only to have a sudden bleeping sound alert the boy to his radar, the screen showing off one small red dot standing still not too far from them as his eyes widened and cursed inwardly at his own luck, Houki already turning to Ichika.

"Ichika we found her, let's go!"

"Right." He called out as Phoenix boosted its rockets with max power rushing past Ichika who was caught up in the afterburn of the trail of heat as he swerved aside and boosted himself muttering something under his breath softly catching up to Phoenix.

"We'll talk later then."

* * *

><p>At the coast nearby<p>

"Anything worth noting yet?" Amasa asked blankly as he sat at the small cliff, his back lying on the smooth stone boulder that clung to the side near the small nature path while playing with two puppets in each hand while Paladin Ripper stood armed and ready by his side. Not too far from him armed with a single scoped binoculars was a woman dressed in a simple dark blue long sleeved shirt with a forest green hoodie and a pair of black jeans looking out into the sea the binoculars catching sight of two far away figures moving to the right, the black-haired woman tracing the IS units towards a third dot over the horizon standing eerily still before she lowered the scoped binoculars and tossed it at Amasa who had Paladin Ripper catch it in its hand and put it to its visor a screen popping out in front of the Merle-lookalike who glanced briefly at the image.

"No doubt about it, that is the Silver Gospel piloted by none other than Natasha Fairs…I heard from an inside source that Phantom Task was involved in a little scuffle in the US-Israel joint base, and it resulted in the Gospel going berserk." He commented as he shut off the screen not waiting to see what would happen, the woman turning around to eye him with her only visible yellow eye a frown on her face.

"So you are going to pull up a chair and watch?" Amasa asked almost hopefully at the woman who frowned deeper.

"I can't stay for too long, Amasa I have Koko to protect." The woman stoically replied as Amasa smiled back at her, setting aside his puppets into his pouch before he walked over to the woman stretching out his hand as the yellow-eyed woman placed an average sized silver case in his grip, the man turning to place it neatly onto the ground and opened the case whistling at the contents appreciatively.

"Well now, typical of Koko Loco to give me such high class goods." He uttered much to the woman's hidden amusement as she placed a hand on her hip.

"You're Koko's favorite father figure, of course she wouldn't be giving you the usual merchandise sold to plain armies…besides, knowing her it isn't wise to die off on your mission when you're clearly helping her stay strong." The woman commented as her voice gave away concern, Amasa lowering the case and locked it looking up towards her while he did so standing up grabbing the extra baggage. In one of his own rare moments, he brought his own hand out and without hesitation slapped the woman's cheek lightly causing an amusing reaction of seeing a reddened face ripe with embarrassment before he smirked cheekily.

"You know I liked it when you had shorter and wilder hair, not this straight length kind of style." His words made the woman bite her lower lip as the red tint grew stronger, Amasa leaning in past the woman's space and used his finger to move towards the only jarring feature to the woman's own perfectly smooth face, his eyes staring in quiet fascination at the eyepatch over her right eye tracing the fabric.

"It's a shame about your eye, though… you do look much cuter without it." He said as he heard a whimper from the normally stern woman, memories seeping into his head once more as he playfully stroked the patch lightly while she squirmed a little under the light pressure putting her hand out to his chest while stepping back.

"A-Amasa…we talked a-about this b-before." The woman weakly protested as she shrunk away from his touch, Amasa's finger felt the soft feeling of cotton leave him causing him to frown at her avoidance.

"Have we? If I recall you were most sensitive when I stroked your patch once, and you even said I could stroke it whenever I wanted to." Amasa said in false innocence mustering the best childlike expression as the woman recalled that particular memory rather well but cleared her throat suppressing her blush to a minimum as she turned her head away looking at the scenery crossing her arms.

"A-Anyway, Koko said you didn't need to pay for it and that it is a gift." Amasa paused briefly in understanding, already anticipating such a response from the young woman as he breathed deeply nodding his head before the woman looked back at his crestfallen face, feeling an uncomfortable silence for the two of them.

"W-Well, I should go." She turned to leave, instead a tug on her hoodie sleeve brought her around to face Amasa who already lost his cheekiness from earlier having a look of certain sadness at her departure from him stunning the woman who tried to politely remove her arm from his grip, a red tint returning to her face as she fought her own desires.

"Please stay for at least a while, Valmet." He pleaded silently relinquishing his exterior mask as the newly named Valmet looked down at the man with hesitation seeing his eyes simmer with a watery glance, finding her drawn into his handsome features again but she resisted the urge instead shaking her head refusing his request.

"I'm sorry but I-I need to take care of something before I can come back to you. " Seeing that his face was already betraying a lot of hurt at her mention of her personal matter, she tried to calm his fears. "It's not like you weren't expecting it to come, Amasa…we both knew that I would always be searching for that peace."

"It's always going back to that day, isn't it?" Amasa spoke without malice instead one that revealed a weariness and deep concern to the point of panic as the two locked stares for a brief moment before Amasa finally caved in releasing his grip on the soldier's sleeve.

"Then go, but know that like me you won't find the peace you sought so much…my dearest Valmet." The ex-Phantom Task operative said softly, Valmet felt her words catch itself unable to respond as she spun on her heel and walked down the path his words sticking a sick feeling in her gut, leaving Amasa alone to himself while he turned to watch the oncoming storm a determined glare in the direction of the battle.

"Amasa, I wonder if you knew…if there were any rockets that she launched since that day."

End

Author's Notes: This is the start of the Silver Gospel chapter and I hope you guys enjoy it. Lots of references to many things and yes, I am considering to combine two of these stories together due to the nature of the music box. Though what it will cause or do, I cannot say or will I be able to tell you yet until the next arc that is a given so hang on to your seats. I will say this: Amasa and Merle story arc will be the closing arc for the first season and if I can, I will start the second part to it after a short break to prepare for my exams and tests and when it is all said and done.

Now for the lore, many of you will be asking what will the box do…is it some Armageddon stuff now that we know you are most likely adding Jormungand into the mix? Well I can safely tell you that to this answer no, the box is not that all important but you will find out just what happened in the next arc which will mention this fact.

As for why I chose Amasa to have Valmet in a special relationship was as I did mention in the previous chapter, although he was a person who killed his own father in cold blood he wasn't a monster and as Irate has pointed out a person who could not release himself from his past and this coincides with Valmet's character due to her own refusal to release her past herself instead vying for a suitable end to mark her peace with that personal issue. I won't spoil it for anyone but if you do not know what I'm talking about watch Jormungand anime or the manga, it doesn't matter as the two stick real close to one another in terms of events.

Well I hope this answers some of your queries and I will see you on the next chapter. Ciao!

VI


	24. Failure & Bottle Spill, Finale at hand

IS: Valkyrie

Author's notes: It begins, I am trying to finish this fight and soon this arc will give way to the next one. Know that this is leading up to the finale and the ending is so close…what will happen now? Note that this will have one more chapter and then the next arc will be underway, it's my intention.

I can't wait.

Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos and I never will.

"_Your mission can be accomplished…even in death."_

Houki struck first, the Silver Gospel already spreading its wings out and balls of energy forming with both pilots splitting away from the burst spray of the lasers ducking and weaving away from the array of the wings as Houki drew her twin katanas and rushed the silver IS with brutal force, slamming her katanas down only to be repulsed by a field of energy stunning Houki who couldn't believe her attack was repelled giving the unit time to charge up its wings.

"Houki!" Ichika yelled as he charged the unit drawing his blade and without hesitation slashed at the wings missing the Gospel by centimeters, as the unit flew backwards to avoid wasting its energy field and charged the lasers while Ichika and Houki dodged out of the way of the lasers another barrage bursting forth at them grazing the two as they tried to avoid the widespread attack.

"Got any plans, Houki?" Ichika yelled over the loud discharge of lasers as Houki simply kept her cool dodging professionally as she had an idea form in her mind.

"Got something but it will be risky to do, and we can only do it once!" She yelled back as she ducked out of the way from a nearby laser scarring her shields slightly while trying to get her message across to the boy by bringing up her own communication line as Ichika's face popped up onscreen.

"Ichika, you have to use your One-off Ability."

"H-Huh?! What is-"

"Ichika, now is not the time to start sputtering we have to use your One-off Ability if we have a chance of taking out that energy field!" Houki affirmed as the two tried to meet up with each other once the barrage lifted, the Japanese girl looking at Ichika with a glance that said 'trust me'.

"Ichika, you know we have to disable it so the best way is to break through that field." She said as the two paused, Ichika kept silent as his head moved up to eye the Silver Gospel standing still looking at them directly without a twitch the boy unsure of whether the field would be too weak to take the hit and he cleaved through the pilot still attached to the unit. Shaking his head, the boy turned to Houki who was waiting for his answer.

"Okay, you have to grab her attention otherwise I can't get a clear shot at her." He instructed as he flew upwards above the two, Houki acknowledging his word as she readied herself and charged towards the wild IS which registered her attempt for an attack. As though nonchalant the IS simply stood still charging its wings to fire another wide arc barrage to trap the Japanese girl, if it had been a lot faster that is instead what it faced was Houki relentlessly pushing herself against the energy field it instinctively placed for protection absorbing the girl's swings and thrusts forcing it into a corner out in the sea while Ichika tailed them from above, bringing up his communication line to connect to her.

"Houki, you have to trap it where it is somehow while I will charge downwards and strike!" He shouted as Houki acknowledged it with a grunt, moving to the side to do a cross slash against the energy field seeing a small scar run across the orb surrounding Gospel as she continued to do a 360 flurry dodging the wings that fired the occasional laser before Ichika's voice thundered in her face.

"Now!"

"Okay, disengaging now…strike her quickly Ichika!" Houki yelled as she moved away dodging a laser aimed for her while Ichika appeared just above the Gospel activating his First Shift and drew up his blade in the air.

"Haaaahhh!" He yelled as he brought down the weapon on the unsuspecting Gospel, unfortunately for the two it seemed that the Gospel even without a pilot capability controlling it had extremely sensitive radar. The Gospel immediately descended and waited instead for the attack to come at it, Ichika boosting his unit to the limit in order to reach the target watching as his shields drain rapidly like a guzzler feeling the surge of wind in his face while he internally clung onto the hope that it would reach his opponent soon.

"Come…on! Byakushiki!"

*Swish*

Ichika's blow made contact with nothing but thin air, surprising Ichika who couldn't even register the fact that his most powerful blow and their strategy had missed its mark the boy hearing a weird growl as he swung his head to the left where the Gospel charged its wings again. He nearly shut his eyes in terror but instead Houki dived in slicing the wind again letting out a 'tch' as the Gospel glided back gracefully Ichika stopping himself from the drop going back to Houki's side, the woman already revealing her own frustration at the lost opportunity.

"Damn it, we have to get to her somehow." She said as she charged again at the Silver Gospel, hitting the shield constantly as the barrier mockingly showed itself to her as more lasers began to form from the wings sending her retreating in a beautiful pattern of duck and weave, flying back and forth to Ichika's side clearly gasping for breath as she glared daggers at the IS unit. Ichika was about to ask her if everything was alright when he saw the furious flurry of blows by Houki before Merle's words began to ring in the back of his mind.

"_Whatever you do, watch her eyes."_

"Merle?" Ichika blurted out to himself, the words of his mentor striking a chord in him as he drew his attention away from the stilled IS unit and back to his partner's eyes noticing that the kindness and warmth in her had begun to fade away, replaced by nothing but a conviction to accomplish her goal. Immediately Ichika went to Houki's side his worry shooting up through the roof of his head as his caring personality kicked into gear, grabbing Houki's shoulder and spun her around to face him with those fiery eyes.

"Houki, we're here to take her out alive not kill her. We have to focus on just disabling her, and we do it right." He tried to calm her down as Houki seethed, her stress was already going to dangerous levels as Ichika felt a wad of guilt in how she was feeling inside right now, and he knew she was already bugged and irritated taking out her frustrations rather than focusing on the mission right then.

"Houki, don't fall back…concentrate for me." He spoke as Houki suddenly perked her head up and turned towards him her eyes holding disbelief as her breath became ragged, the calm and controlled girl almost releasing her grip on her weapons as she looked into his eyes.

"Ichika…what is happening to me?"

The response didn't come as the Silver Gospel charged and fired a single laser at the pair, Houki and Ichika about to dodge out of the way when the latter turned his head only to cast his vision on something that he never expected to see shocking him to the core.

"No way…" His words were lost to Houki who was worrying about herself in that moment noticed the laser slowly making its way towards where they once were, her eyes falling back on account of a gut instinct that something was wrong. She was right when she immediately spun around to watch Ichika who was still standing there looking at his behind in the path of the laser as it came barreling towards him making her gasp.

"Ichika! Get out of there!" She yelled panicked over the loud scream of the beam as she saw Ichika clench the Naginata firmly, the boy suddenly turned back and did the most unexpected thing she would think of him doing.

He placed his hands out and without a thought used his energy blade in his grip to collide with the attack, the two elements becoming a bright light that engulfed the whole area sending a shockwave echoing across the ocean and upheaving the waves that soon began to crash violently and surge in repeated motion against the shore. Without a glance sideways, Ichika gritted his teeth as he felt his already half-depleted shields begin to drain at a rapid pace his mind elsewhere on what he saw when he had turned his head back onto the ocean.

_**Ichika looked back, his mind shutting to a blank as he eyed the small shape moving across the water at a snail's pace as the boy's eyes widened like plates.**_

_**A ship! And it was going to be in the way of the laser!**_

"_**No way…"**_

_**What was a ship doing here? This was supposed to be a no-travel zone for the region and the government was assured that they were safe to fight!**_

"_**Damn it!" Ichika cursed inwardly, feeling a wave of distress come to him now as his instincts yelled continuously at him to dive out of the way while he heard Houki's call right in the distance her arm outstretched towards him as he looked back at the laser beam fast approaching, his hesitation gave way to a strange feeling that swelled in his mind and only one word came to him at that single moment.**_

_**Protect…**_

_**With no doubts lingering that the laser would even reach the boat, the boy gripped Naginata like it was his lifeline and raised it down onto the beam coming at full force.**_

"Got to…hold on!" He muttered to himself as he felt the light slowly engulfing him as his shield notification began to blare in his face telling him to retreat away from the source while he refused hanging on to his weapon which was searing hot in the face of this attack.

"Can't deflect it…must protect those…fishermen!" He pushed again feeling the attack almost give way however the breakthrough didn't last as he felt the struggle continue, the boy resisting each push that brought him closer to the boat barely able to register the screams of terror from the ship. The word rang in his head once again, like a mantra that he recited screaming muscles retching in agony from the almost impossible obstacle.

"Break…through…BYAKUSHIKI!" He screamed.

His hand released its grip.

He felt the warmth of the last of the huge attack being absorbed into his vision as light flashed in front of him, covering him in fire while Ichika felt his body float darkness draping its curtains over his eyes ignoring the fact that Byakushiki had completely disappeared and he was beginning to freefall the boy looking up at the sky where the laser had once been, now a partial orange light seeped into the blue of the sky and only smoke trailed from somewhere. Was it him? Ichika avoided that question, his eyes swinging back to cast itself upon the ship which laid unharmed as the sky fell further from his blackening grasp.

"Good…it's still…there…"

* * *

><p>With Amasa<p>

"Well, this battle is over." The man said boorishly as he stood up from the rock facing the ocean as he saw the wind turn into a full out gale smashing itself violently against the trees, the force sending an upheaval of trees and leaves along with its branches Amasa using Paladin Ripper to shield him from the blast as he gripped his case tightly where his new toy lay. The gale retreated as the waves continued to surge relentlessly against the cliffs with full force, the light fading as fast as it came while Amasa felt Paladin Ripper stir uncomfortably at the source…Silver Gospel the ideal 4th generation model, unbelievable power made Amasa chill at the prospect of Phantom Task acquiring such a weapon.

"I was expecting more from the student of Merle, but guess I was wrong about him being so strong." The man said dismissively moving down the nature track before his radar bleeped alerting him to the device before a screen appeared in front of him. Observing it for only a moment, the man simply let out a whistle into the air as he scratched the back of his ruffled hair which was blown backwards by the wind as he stared at the bleep again.

"…"

He took it back, maybe there was more to this person than he suspected.

"That wasn't an accident…God, it seems your angels are at work here as well. Just as well, I was hoping that your dear Merle is more than a match for me." He spoke softly as he resumed walking, the impact of the gust ended as quickly as it had arrived while Amasa signaled his proxy IS to follow suit as the darkness shrouded the duo.

* * *

><p>With Yamada and Chifuyu<p>

There were no words exchanged, nothing that Yamada could even say as the two stared in disbelief at Ichika's actions before the laser consumed him Houki stretching out her hand as she nearly reached the boy and was sent flying back by the laser the girl only managing to stay conscious to steady her thrusters as she noticed a small body flying down towards the sea rushing down to grab the unconscious boy while the Silver Gospel stood still silently observing the scene without remorse. Yamada didn't even register the fact that Chifuyu had snapped out of her shock and with a fierce look, brought up her line to connect to the others who were on standby and began to speak instructions.

"To all pilots on standby, Ichika is down! Get ready to go and retrieve him and Houki out of there, the mission is over!" She sternly voiced her commands, Yamada already picking up a change in her usual voice that betrayed only a mere sliver of her true emotions racing through her mind right now.

5 minutes later, the beach shore with Houki

It didn't take long, but the flight back seemed like an eternity to her. What could she even say to Chifuyu or even any of her classmates about this to make it feel better?

"Ichika…why?" She uttered out stifling her confusion and tears as she stared at her metallic hands gently carrying the slightly burned body of Ichika Orimura, his skin on both arms were burned badly with pieces of red and slightly charred flesh while his face had a small burn on his cheek, the sight was frightful to the girl while remembering the boat that she saw as she grabbed the boy's body and hightailed out of the hot zone, she had shot a hardened glare at the crew before she had taken off to the island to get help. She hoped that those men were happy that Ichika saved them, for she was not one for forgiveness especially when the victim of this case was her own crush.

Phoenix suddenly sprang to life with a screen opening up in front of her as Houki's distracted features turned back to a hardened glance at the view seeing the beach nearby already occupied with the worried faces of her classmates who were just about to get ready to launch from the beach before they spotted her, all of them deactivating there IS units in response as Houki landed gracefully placing the wounded Ichika onto the sandy shore guilt written in her eyes.

"Ichika…he…"

"Out of the way, all of you clear out!" The voice of Chifuyu instantly alerted Houki to the stairs, her eyes glanced briefly at the older sibling before she looked away ashamed at her own failure while Chifuyu came to a halt her face stone cold as she eyed her brother's burnt body. At the same time three medics who had come along for the trip on a compulsory notice had arrived with a stretcher, the women had worried looks when they noticed the wounded and immediately propped the boy up onto the stretcher carrying him away from the distressed girls as Chifuyu moved her eyes to rest on Houki who flinched at her heavy stare.

"Houki, mission is over…we'll be tracking the rogue IS and send a team to finish what you started soon. Hopefully enough of them are available to take down this prototype." Chifuyu answered stoically and professionally, her eyes unwavering in her resolve and hidden anger at the Silver Gospel turning around to join the team of medics that had entered the hotel leaving Houki kneeling on the sand staring at the imprint of where Ichika's body once laid, the waves lapping at the soles of her shoes drenching her ankle and lower thigh.

"Houki, let's get you inside…okay?" Charlotte was the first of the other girls to approach the saddened girl, her hands lifting the light weighted Houki to her feet while Cecilia grabbed her rival's hand and draped it over her neck looking under the bangs of dark hair before she glanced back at Charlotte.

"She's asleep no doubt from the emotional stress she experienced seeing Ichika nearly killed from that attack. It's better if she can rest up and not go on any mission until her nerves are calm." Cecilia advised looking at the sides of the roads to make sure no traffic was oncoming before they crossed over, the others following behind with thoughtful faces.

With Merle

"Well this sucks I wonder when those 2 weeks of paralysis would pass so I can get up and trade words with that lookalike…" The teacher muttered loudly to himself as he opened his droopy eyes, the numb stinging in his limbs had begun to subside though only slightly Merle shifting his fingers within the covers as he only managed to lift one finger slightly upwards before the sensation was lost to him.

"I call that progress." He sighed, at least happy in the sense that he was experiencing the smallest improvement for his current condition. Going back through his conversations, he closed his eyes and blew at his hair above him and failing miserably while he snuggled into the covers.

"I hope Houki hasn't snapped from her frustrations."

Things hadn't been smooth in Merle's opinion when it came to the topic of Houki. She was an excellent pilot, hell even one of the best who deserved a personal IS and even having the initiative to call her sister on her own after the tournament was quite a bold move in the teacher's own mind...but then again who never got what they wanted without trying first? However that wasn't the problem that he noticed when she was swinging her bokken wildly at him back at the first fight Ichika had, no if anything Merle was a very strict teacher when it came to assault and having a girl no less attempt this daily practice of hitting people who piss her off would actually scare him senseless.

He noticed her eyes, they had embarrassment sure but the training grounds did prove more than sufficient evidence for what he feared in her the most: Pride.

Now pride is naturally what humans have, in the nature to be proud of accomplishments to what you could be able to do once you learnt something...however pride was always a precipice for downfall, and hearing one or two things from her and Tabane's own insights made him aware of that fact haunting his student. Her pride was more than simply being happy at the new armament she acquired, oh no it was the fact that she was not so willing to even remotely forgive herself for hurting her own sister and even when Tabane was indeed hurt but brushed it off as nothing Houki continued to hold on to the stubborn belief she had to pay for her mistakes.

Hence the hesitation when she initially refused to contact Tabane until she could stand it no longer being just in a practice unit, it led her to believe to be able to bolster both her own pride and confidence she needed a unit with power of her own, and that fact was why Merle let Ichika hear those words alongside the fact he even tried to speak to Houki about it.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Weeks before<strong>_

"_**You said that he was ignoring you, just brushing you off and more silent?" Merle questioned the young teen who was sitting on the floor of a small private garden that was reserved for the staff to relax in, located somewhere on the top of one of the school buildings far from the classrooms. Surrounding them was an open space of a large pond and small stone paths opposite of the small private room closed off by mirrors blocking outside view…a peaceful place for the teacher who would occasionally go here to silently consult in prayer.**_

"_**He's not himself that much is certain for me, and right now even then I feel as if he doesn't want me to be involved in his own personal turmoil. It's frustrating me." Houki replied as her eyes flashed a bright anger at being cut off from her own childhood friend, her knuckles growing red from the pressure of digging her fingers into her palms. The teacher said not a word, opting to drink the tea that he prepared for himself as he hummed.**_

"_**Well there isn't a day when we could be always joyful and positive about things, though Ichika displays the obvious signs of a self-condemning person if you think about it clearly." **_

"_**Ichika doesn't look like he would go so far-" Houki protested for her crush's innocence only to have Merle shoot a warning glance at her to be quiet and hear out his logic.**_

"_**Listen, he is a person who thinks the most about strength and power compared to you who gets carried away with it." His words stung Houki as she recounted the days before Ichika when she was still the top duelist in the dojo and children feared to spar with her, until the day she beat up Ichika when he was just a new trainee and made him cry. Seeing that she had quieted down from her protest the young assistant teacher then continued knowing that he was safe to carry on his explanation.**_

"_**I want to tell you something that you and the other girls have missed completely when you were dealing with Ichika. He is someone who unknown to almost everyone, is secretive more so than his sister and their interactions show a basic deep relationship but even so nothing else is achieved. She keeps secrets from him, and he does the same though both are doing it for disillusioned reasons." Merle sighed as he refilled his drink and gestured Houki to do the same, the girl simply confused by what she had heard grabbing a cup in hand while she stared at the green murky liquid.**_

"_**Disillusioned? Secrets? Why would Ichika and Chifuyu-" Houki's words were cut by Merle's stare.**_

"_**They both think they will protect each other like that. And I can safely say that it is the dumbest thing I've ever heard." **_

"_**But enough about that, Houki I have another thing to discuss that I feel we should address quickly." Merle dismissed the previous topic altogether, his mind already focusing on the more serious of issues as he stood up and paced towards the window observing the plant life that surrounded the private relaxation spot as Houki shifted uncomfortably in her position unsure of what he was about to say until he spoke the next words.**_

"_**I want to ask about your frustration, your continued anger held towards your sister."**_

"_**That's none of your business, Merle-sensei." The girl retorted before Merle nodded calmly, his eyes hinting a glimmer of something else than understanding. Houki didn't have the chance to ask as Merle simply frowned, disappointment evident on his face before he gestured to the door.**_

"_**I understand, though all I can say is do not bottle up all the emotions that you are currently holding or else a simple outburst will be the least of your worries when it finally happens at the wrong time." **_

_**End flashback**_

* * *

><p>"Hmmm, what a mess of events this is. Even so is whether Laura will even speak to me soon, her avoidance of me is scary." He chuckled to himself, his muscles straining to smile as his limbs helplessly twitched in small subtle spasms. It took a moment for Merle to regain his own coughing fit before his smile disappeared, a dark look crossing his face as he raised his voice in the empty unlit room.<p>

"I know you're there, come out and speak to me properly."

"Hn, so you did know I was here the whole time. What a pity." The teacher didn't flinch at the sing-song voice of his attacker, the man tilting his head to the right to see no one else than his very own doppelganger smiling at him from the corner of the room as Merle beat back a stressful groan as he stared at him blankly.

"Why are you here for? To kill me so soon after that ambiguous talk we had with each other?" The revived man spoke to his doppelganger who simply shook his head, still holding on to his fragile smile threatening to disappear while a hand shifted to the inside of his jacket speaking as he did so.

"No, killing you now is not something I am allowed to do. Courtesy of God, if only you knew how many angels you have guarding you." He paused as he seemed to stiffen, shivering slightly at something across the bed before he looked back at Merle who was utterly confused by the man's action. Turning back to business, Merle heard the shuffle of fabric before the doppelganger let out an 'aha' the teacher squinting his eyes to carefully eye a familiar metallic object with patterns and German words engraved on the side, all thoughts in the man ceased at that moment.

"Wait, is that a-"

"Music box? Yes it is, just like yours…but with a different purpose." He said cryptically as he began to spin the dials in front of Merle, stunning the teacher with each click of the lock that turned in Amasa's favor as they continued their talk.

"So how many of us do you think are there in the universe?" Amasa asked first without much thought behind the question as Merle narrowed his eyes, right now his vision was focused on the dials that spun while the former moved to the second lock in silent vigilance retorting coldly.

"I don't care how many of me there are and neither do I care whether there are any, right now I want to know how you managed to solve the box."

_Click_

"Really now, don't worry about other Merles or Amasa running around for we're the only two of a kind. Or is it so possible that I could just be joking with you, oh dear Amasa." The ex-Phantom Task agent's index moved to the next dial, testing Merle and his patience as the teacher nearly wanted to grit his teeth but held back his retorts. He was at a major disadvantage right now, he knew Amasa could reach him no problem in this state and to be violent or rough with the man would speed up the process of him getting killed, and looking at Amasa's smug face over him in a brief glance told him that he was well aware of it.

"How do you know that?"

_Click_

"Oh don't be so mean, Merle we're both of the same blood you and I." He paused as his fingers hung over the third dial, spinning the symbols merrily not just about to solve the puzzle yet. "Besides, I don't think worrying about our blood relation is the best idea right now, wouldn't you agree? You're more worried about what's in the box now, and that's exactly why I'm here."

_Click_

Merle had to take a breath, the man was not playing or plotting right now and if he was who he claimed himself to be…that meant that he was sincere in his motives. Amasa hummed as he continued to spin the dial nonchalantly, aware that he had the power over his disabled twin which gave him a feeling of confidence that Merle wouldn't do anything stupid on his end.

"So," the voice of Merle's tired and worn tone echoed in the shade of the evening sky cut off Amasa's private thoughts as he perked up, his finger stopping over the dial wheel. "Who are you then? And what is so significant about that box?" Amasa shifted his stance in reply, the silence thick and agonizing for both men who stood awkwardly Merle revealing more of it as the ex-agent gave a deep breath rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Did you even manage to figure out what the symbols even mean in the first place?" Amasa asked with a look that said 'let me guess' seeing the anticipated reaction of Merle confusingly shaking his head slightly flinching at the numb stinging in his vertebrate as his eye cocked into a narrow squint.

"No, I didn't even know there was a meaning behind each symbol and I never seen them before." He admitted truthfully to Amasa who listened attentively, the puppeteer lowering his gaze from his counterpart and down at the floor his hands gripping the music box with more pressure almost popping his finger's joints before he cooled down considerably, the former Phantom staring at Merle with a more relaxed expression as he reached down into his jacket pocket bringing out a slip of paper and waved it in front of the paralyzed man.

"This should answer all of your questions regarding the box. It contains drawings, drawings I am sure that if you are who you claim to be you will recognize them without a shred of doubt. So if that is all-" Amasa planted the paper on the table that sat beside Merle and straightened his jacket, ready to take his leave moving towards the rice door.

"Wait right there, Amasa." The man did as his doppelganger said, though with a bite of his lower lip in irritancy muttering a string of musings inwardly before he glared at the face of Merle who had an inquisitive glint in his eyes.

"Why even bother to help me now, when you said so yourself that you will come for me and eventually murder me? You could have done so at any time here and even stepping into enemy territory. What have I done here, or what did I decide or thought when I had the audacity to murder my very own father?" Merle sternly addressed his doppelganger who didn't reply immediately, the topic of his father was a stinging subject to even say although it was long forgotten by him in the past by the time he joined up with Phantom Task and Amasa was hoping that the memories of his time there when he abandoned them at Russia would be buried. He was sick and tired of reliving those days and flashbacks of what his father did to him and how Squall taught him that to relive it was to know what it felt like in the world, to use it as a reason to forcefully remove IS units from their warmongering masters…bullshit of course though at the time who else could he blame but the world as an easily deceivable child?

To this day, he still held it against his father's father. True, he was supposed to kill Merle according to schedule but if there was one thing he knew when he caught an eye of an angel in white robes brandishing a flaming sword to his throat next to Merle, was that God had not pertained the hour to be. And how can you fight an angel that was not bound to a mortal body?

"I am helping you to achieve my objective, nothing more. For the music box to be made whole both participants must know the dial wheels needed to unlock it, and when both of us do…the final chapter can unfold." He spoke again in a cryptic tone, deciding that the time for moping and answering questions was well past as he grabbed the handle of the rice door silently demanding escape.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Merle tried to question more out of the man before Amasa ignored his words and slid open the rice door, not remotely looking back at his doppelganger and closed the door behind him leaving Merle alone and with more questions rather than answers. Merle groaned as he felt his own head spin with the new information given to him by his own mirror image, the teacher closing his eyes wishing he had the feel in his limbs to go and relieve some of his pent up stress.

"Is this how it is? What could possibly be worse than-" He wondered aloud shortly before the rice door to his left slid open instead of the one behind him, the teacher feeling yet another groan coming on as the light shone in his own face turning towards the source only to find a familiar figure shading the sunlight dressed in a simple white shirt and business skirt without stockings, with messy dark green tinted hair.

"Merle…"

"Chifuyu? What are you doing here, is the mission is already over-"Merle replied before the woman spoke her voice in a mutter beginning to experience a break in them which made the teacher tense up in his bed as he tried to listen to what she was saying though his concern was soon confirmed as her shoulders were sagged from its usual tense uptight pose and her hair was slightly messy with the bangs covering part of her eyes with her head hung.

"Chifuyu…what happened? Is Ichika okay?" Merle spoke his eyes furrowing before Chifuyu walked up to him and without a word she fell onto the bed he was lying on with a thump, the teacher looking in shock as he quickly craned his head to see her head of hair near his chest her hands stretched out around his neck as he heard a quiet sob the sheet of the futon being slightly drenched. Uncertain though suspicious of what has occurred, Merle tried to instead calm the woman with words.

"Chifuyu, talk to me please what is going on out there?" He said worry stricken as the woman continued to grip his neck tightly instead of an answer, making Merle's worry intensify before another voice came from the rice door.

"Merle-sensei, I have to talk to-Chifuyu-sensei?" Merle turned his head towards the open door where Houki stood at the doorway her head hanging slightly towards the ground looking away from him before she raised her eyes and saw Merle and Chifuyu on the bed, both of them in their moment until the Japanese pilot showed up to speak to her mentor.

"Houki…is it okay if you leave me and Chifuyu alone for a while? You can get back to me later, just rest up." He advised as Houki felt nothing but guilt stinging into her open wound, the girl then retreating back as Chifuyu continued to slam a fist against the sheets of the futon Merle's eyes giving way from his usual assuring smile to that of a more saddened expression as he quickly caught on to a part of the situation involving the boy. A sudden thought jolted the man to look back where Houki was only to see that she was gone, the man sighing in a moment of clarity and helplessness as a picture of Houki's disappointed face came to the forefront of his thoughts making him whisper into the empty space occupying the doorway.

"Sorry Houki, but this weakness of yours…is yours to solve."

End

Author's Notes: Well guys it's the corner again with the VI.

As you noticed, the whole thing about the fishing boat and the criminal justice thing going on isn't touched on...because of her other emotional baggage of Ichika's own insult to her trustworthiness and the suppressing of her feelings towards her sister I felt it overridden the situation for this snapping to occur. I have been in the same boat as many others where being taught to bottle emotions is a virtue or some other reason like that, but from personal experience it doesn't help and soon you are screaming out at people or doing the wrong things without thinking.

For the confrontation between both Merle and Amasa, I left some ambiguous clues to the identity of the doppelganger in there...if you check his sentences carefully you might have the answer staring you in the face...or maybe not.

Now, since I have been out of the writing game for a while I am feeling like my writing is rusty or I may not be conveying the story points correctly. Hopefully this isn't one of those days as I want to give you guys one of the better experiences in writing I can muster while juggling my own studies.

Let me know your thoughts and I'll see you guys on the next IS Valkyrie

The VI


	25. Gospel is Done, Prologue to Darkness

IS: Valkyrie

Author's notes: Ok this is the final installment for the arc, get ready.

I want to thank you guys for everything that has been happening, to be honest I was unsure how this story would turn out but I am happy to see this story be read and loved. Thanks once again, and may you enjoy this chapter of IS Valkyrie.

Disclaimer: I do not own the series and if I did it probably wouldn't be finished.

* * *

><p>Morning arose, the night gave the people at the hotel more time to recuperate from the loss of their mission as the sun began to rise in the horizon filling the world with a new day of warmth and protection from the cold of the night, for a particular Japanese pilot however it was the start of yet another day of worry and concern.<p>

In Ichika and Chifuyu's own shared room away from most of the students in the bedroom, the girl laid exhausted with her head on an occupied futon where the head of a dark-haired green tinted tuff of hair poked out from the covers with the face in a peaceful sleep. The girl, disturbed by the growing amount of chirping by the birds as a cold gust finally woke her slumbering mind the female shivering as she began to sit up with her brown hair swept over her shoulders messily, the ribbon that she wore had been unraveled and was lying in a twirled heap beside the futon which she had slept in. The girl rubbed her eyes with her fist, carefully avoiding the eyelashes that would sometimes sting her eyes if she did it hard enough while a yawn uncharacteristically escaped her mouth.

"That dream…again." Houki muttered to herself softly while she tried to shake her head lightly, the images swimming into her memories as she tried to shake them off.

"It felt so real."

She then looked down to eye the sleeping form of her injured partner, a sad frown coming back to the forefront of her mind as she eyed the bandaged cheek covering the burnt skin underneath alongside a wrap covering the boy's neck which had experienced some measure of charring though it wasn't serious as it looked. Houki straightened over Ichika's peaceful look, the guilt and shame of her loss of focus and frustrations swarming like an accusation.

"Houki, are you there?" Houki heard a voice silently whispering from the doorway, careful not to wake the injured pilot in the futon as the Japanese girl turned around with surprise as she saw who was standing behind her, sad purple amethyst glancing at Ichika behind her.

"Charlotte…"

"I hope you've recovered well, Houki." The French pilot spoke politely as always, a slight bow of respect towards the girl who was tying the ribbon back onto the back of her hair while Charlotte took the sign as a good time to come in, making her way to sit beside Houki after she closed the door to the room behind them giving them the privacy. Charlotte focused her attention more on Ichika for a bit, frowning at the severe burns he was having as Houki turned her head away to the right facing the wall still tying her hair.

"Chifuyu-sensei just called the rest of us to a meeting beforehand, she said that the Silver Gospel is still lingering in the closed off zone and also that you're expected to rest easy…" The French blonde fell silent as the message was passed, Houki just sitting quietly as she paused for a few moments the only indicator she was listening before the rustle of the ribbon came back to Charlotte's ears the female pilot taking a deep breath.

"Are you alright?"

"No, Charlotte I'm not." The Japanese girl remarked rather sharply, sparing no attempt to hide her own hidden frustrations and anger at the fact the mission was over with an injury of someone she liked. Charlotte couldn't really say much as she turned back to Ichika who was still fast asleep, unconscious from the burns which plagued the poor boy before she cleared her throat.

"You can't blame yourself for this any longer, Houki." She began but Houki instead shot back a glare when she was done with her ribbon tying, her expression was dark and clouded especially in her eyes.

"If I hadn't lost it and let those emotions spill out like a torrent, we would have been able to avoid that attack and Ichika…well Ichika wouldn't be hurt as well if those fishermen hadn't shown up in that moment. I am to blame for it as much as those men below." Houki stated as Charlotte simply protested lightly at that statement.

"Well nobody would have known-"

"Those men knew when a government sanctions a zone, you don't just waltz into it…it's their fault as well as mine, and I hope they are happy with the results of breaking that rule. Ichika is lying in a bed with burns while they all get away from that incident probably just talking about their close shave…bastards." Houki interjected coldly, her anger now aimed at the people who caused Ichika to block the attack in the first place while Charlotte looked on in concern. There wasn't much she could say to sway the stubborn girl from what she thought was to blame, in fact Charlotte had to admit that a small part of her was angered that the orders of the government were defied by the citizens who had a loss of trust with their governing bodies in recent years even with the crises that arose with the introduction of the IS units into daily life. She even heard conspiracy theories which were relating to the missile crisis against Japan which was thwarted by the very first pioneer IS, that it was a cover-up by a world-wide agreement that to test the IS they were willing to waste a country and Japan drew the short straw…several ridiculous things like that. Even so, the French pilot couldn't believe the denseness of her own race sometimes and the lack of trust to the point of even completely rebelling against the forces that tried to secure peace, the lack of trust part already accounted for in her life.

"Houki-san, just know that even though those men were stupid to get out into the sea it was not their intention to cause trouble."

"Tell that to Ichika and Chifuyu, his sister has been avoiding encounters with me since she called off the mission and has been spending more time in the mission room…if anything else I bet she blames me for what happened out there."

Sigh, this could be the only thing that was occupying the girl's mind right now. Charlotte already feeling her own feelings about to pour out in front of the sleeping Ichika, began to stand up patting her mini-skirt softly and briskly a face of silent defeat while speaking one last time to Houki who was reluctantly placing her hand beside the boy's exposed hands, their fingertips barely touching.

"Cecilia and Rin alongside Laura wanted to find you, they want to speak to you at the beach at 3 in the afternoon as well as the message that the medical team will be coming to deal with Ichika's wounds around noon." Charlotte said her piece as she left, shutting the rice door behind the girl leaving the Japanese pilot to what she was doing a final thought crossing her mind as Charlotte stared at the closed off section of the hotel.

"Ichika…recover quickly, Houki needs you." Charlotte thought sadly as she turned on her heel and left for her room, one final thought finishing her words.

_I need you too._

* * *

><p>With Chifuyu<p>

"What's the status on the teams? And can they intercept Silver Gospel?" Chifuyu asked as she focused intently on the screen which held the image of the still Silver Gospel, standing right where it was near the coast when the laser had hit Ichika like a statue in the air head hung.

"No, there's nothing yet. The Gospel is still standing in its usual spot and the teams are occupied, so there is quite a constraint on who can take the job." Yamada replied as she opened up yet another comm channel contacting yet another nearby Japanese base, her eyes flickering occasionally between the screen and also her superior's own facial expression which had considerably darkened with each passing minute.

"Hn, are our top pilots on the island still here?"

"Yeah, they all are…I did a roll call and they were accounted for." Yamada spoke as Chifuyu let out yet another hum in response before a bleeping noise signaled the two to respond to the comm channel of yet another Japanese base they were contacting for assistance.

* * *

><p>With Houki, the beach<p>

"So what is going on?"

"I think you know what we all are doing here, Houki." Cecilia answered out for the other pilots, Rin was standing on one of the nearby rocks which jutted out of the sand like a platform tossing some stones she had collected into the salty mouth of the open sea her grip tightening with each throw while the British pilot stood in front of Houki with her arms folded as she broke into a staring contest with the Japanese girl. Charlotte in the meantime stood with Laura a bit to the side, seemingly talking about something but Laura soon gave her a hand to cut off her own words leaving the two in silence as Houki gave a puzzled look.

"What do you mean?"

"Silver Gospel." Laura cut into the conversation as Cecilia wanted to jab at the small sized girl for her rudeness holding it in as she ignored that last statement.

"As Laura said, we've been thinking that even if Ichika is out of the picture…we still have five capable pilots including Yamada-sensei. However for what we're going to do, it would just have to be the four of us taking action on our own. You understand where we're getting at, don't you?" Cecilia eyed Houki intently seeing her shift her gaze to the other pilots who were glancing at her for her response to their suggestion, Houki giving a tired shake of her head.

"Yes and I am not going to do it." Her response cut the conversation short as Rin now gripped her stones momentarily before she lost her temper, letting out an angry yell as she threw the remainder in scattered directions jumping off the small rock and stormed towards Houki with a fiery look in her eye.

"Houki, in case you didn't notice Ichika is injured because of that girl! I'm not caring if some fishermen were breaking the rules and caused him pain or grief…that girl up there, Silver Gospel is going to have hell to pay for messing him up like that!" Rin exclaimed while jabbing a finger into Houki's chest, Cecilia already on the move to intercept any aggressive moves from the two who were already on edge glaring daggers at one another as she pushed them out of the way.

"Enough, I won't have the two of you fight here!"

"Screw you, you English tea-sipper! I want to have a few words with Houki about what she was doing when Ichika was suffering out there! I want to hear from her own damn mouth how she can stand here, playing the pitiful maiden while it was her responsibility as a partner to back him up!" Rin retorted sharply, Cecilia already pushing against the Chinese pilot watching over her shoulder as Houki gritted her teeth.

"Rin, that's enough you're not that stupid to pick a fight now are you?" Cecilia said firmly putting down the Chinese girl who huffed, stepping back from Houki as she turned to Houki who was holding in her anger while biting the tip of her tongue.

"What the hell do you know about what happened out there? You weren't even there, you never saw what we were facing." Houki coldly shot at Rin who felt her anger rise, almost uncontrollably as Charlotte already prepared herself to step in leaving Laura to look towards the ocean waves seemingly unconcerned with what was happening.

"I may not have been there, but I know that you wouldn't let your own guard down! So if that's the case, then tell me why you couldn't even have Ichika's back when you were supposed to!" Rin brushed off the girl's words as Houki lost her temper and angrily yelled.

"Fine…you don't have to worry a damn thing about my uselessness! I am NEVER PILOTING AN IS EVER AGAIN!"

*Slap*

Houki felt the world suddenly spin at the end of her own declaration, her next words lost in the sea of confusion that sprouted with the sudden slap across her cheek while her face swung downward to the side her eyes wide while the other girls stopped short of their tension seeing none other than Charlotte who had delivered the blow, her own amethyst eyes betraying her emotions as she glared viciously for the first time at Houki and the others.

"I dare you to say those words one more time, Houki…give me a good reason." Charlotte's calm and yet eerily serene tone began to send shivers down the others' spines, threatening silently to choke the life out of anyone who was pissing her off badly. Even Laura, the normally cocky and stoic of the lot felt a bad chill from her instincts as she discreetly shuffled away from the blonde as Charlotte stalked towards her chosen prey with Houki still holding the side of her cheek.

"Snap out of your daydream, Houki! This isn't all about you and your weakness, we're asking for your help to take down the Silver Gospel and all you can do is sulk! How can someone like you be so selfish?" Charlotte was practically incensed by Houki, the girl grabbing Houki by the collar as she shook her savagely ignoring Cecilia's attempts to grab her by the shoulders and pull her back while she let some of her frustrations loose on the stunned girl.

"Ichika risked his life for those men, criminal or not! Who gives you the right to even judge them, who gives you a right to say who is to blame including yourself?! I want to know, because if you can tell it to me straight that you are serious about losing your IS, the ONLY one your sister made for you…THEN GO RIGHT AHEAD!"

"C-Charlotte…" Cecilia tried to reach for the girl's shoulders before she felt a stronger grip throw her back, the English girl almost tripping and falling onto her back in the sand before she shot a glare at Laura who was nonchalantly looking down at her with an outstretched hand.

"H-Hey-!"

"Don't even think about intervening in this, Cecilia…" Laura warned the girl before she glared at Rin who was about to speak. "And shut your own mouth, pig-tails you were only making things worse than it already is."

"It's her own damn fault that she-" Rin began before Laura folded her arms giving a crossed look and arched eyebrow.

"And I suppose yelling like a little child is going to help Ichika and Houki get better? Do you see any better methods to calm Houki down and get her on our side? If you do, then tell me right now." Seeing Rin finally quiet down from the talk, Laura turned to see the two arguing girls in a staring contest lost in their own world as she motioned to Cecilia to take Rin and themselves somewhere else from the main firestorm.

"Dunois-san…let go."

"No, I won't." Charlotte spoke venomously as she tightened her grip in response to her demand. "You have to open your own eyes and see the bigger picture. This isn't all about you right now, Ichika is injured and we need to finish the job for him."

"But you heard Chifuyu-sensei the mission was over-" Houki protested weakly but Charlotte interjected into her statement.

"It's not over yet, not while Chifuyu-sensei still has more than one pilot for a mission. I and the others are going to fight her, and you can't stop us trying." Charlotte gave her a stern look as Houki looked past the French pilot's shoulders to see the other pilots all giving her a very determined glance as she felt her previously shaken confidence rise if so slightly, though her doubts still kept her back.

"But even if we all attack it together there is no solid guarantee that we will win it…"

"We'll win it, as long as we have the energy left inside of us that is ready to fight." Rin said with a confident smirk much to the displeasure of Cecilia who huffed back at her rival.

"Sure, if you easily run out of steam as quickly as you take to insults, we'll all be held back." Rin shot the British pilot a deadly look that promised unspeakable pranks and horror before Laura put a hand to her face wiping it down her eye groaning.

"Show some self-restraint until we all get to the battle would you?"

* * *

><p>With Chifuyu and Yamada<p>

"Chifuyu-san! The IS pilots are taking off from the island!"

"What?" Chifuyu couldn't believe the words she was hearing, the woman already making her way to the screen where five tiny blips could be seen flying away from the island at top speed towards the sanctioned off area where the Silver Gospel stood restlessly as if a shark lazily waiting for oncoming prey, Chifuyu turning towards her subordinate teacher to reach into the communications line. Yamada complied with the silent order, her fingers dancing on the keyboard frantically trying to raise them.

"I'm getting a reply from them now." Yamada said as she brought up the screen where five familiar faces popped onto the screen addressing the cold-hearted stare of Chifuyu Orimura who had folded her arms and a silent demand for the pilots to begin explaining themselves.

"Chifuyu-sensei…we are planning to engage the Silver Gospel, do not try to convince us of otherwise." Houki spoke up first amongst the group as Rin interjected afterwards with her own two cents, her face betraying a shade of her own emotions.

"She hurt Ichika-kun, I won't stand around for it and I'll rip that IS apart if I have to."

"You aren't the only one, Rin but keep it together." Surprisingly the person speaking her mind to counter Rin's words was Charlotte who still had a calm yet hidden fury at the IS for its unrestrained attack onto the boy, the French girl remembering that there was a person still in the machine. "We have to save the girl inside, but I won't show much mercy for the machine shell that holds her captive."

"Essh, look who's speaking in dark tones and wishing she could dish out hurt." Rin piped in at Charlotte's own words while Cecilia gave an equally determined look like Charlotte's but chose not to say anything to the Chinese girl, Laura already ignoring the conversation as she looked back to her idol.

"Forgive me, Chifuyu-sama but this machine has to be taken down at all costs and you still have five more pilots in play!" Laura apologized as Chifuyu gritted her teeth grinding the surface of her teeth with small subtle movements as she stared up at the screens which held the determined glances of the five girls waiting in silent anticipation before the woman opened her mouth looking at Yamada who was waiting further orders.

"Yamada, keep the five of them in radio contact and inform me of any progress that goes on. Meanwhile, tell the previous base we requested for reinforcements to hold off reaching the sanctioned off area for the moment and let the girls have a shot at Silver Gospel. I have to check up on Ichika right now." She ordered turning on her heel and marched out of the room, leaving Yamada to co-ordinate the attack with the team who all gave a series of relieved breaths Chifuyu making sure she was out of the room before she let a small smirk show on her face.

"Was beginning to wonder when the rest of them would put their act together. Now, for Ichika…hopefully he still has some energy for a fight."

* * *

><p>With Houki and the team<p>

"Laura, you're in position yet?"

"Yes, I've taken up my place at the rock platform and have Silver Gospel in my sights." Laura replied curtly as she aimed her heavy artillery pieces in the general direction of the silver glint in the distance, Houki then switching the channel to Cecilia.

"How's your end, Cecilia?"

"I am in position above Silver Gospel but it doesn't seem to have noticed me yet. If you are to implement the plan, I suggest not taking too much time." Cecilia said slightly worried as she turned off her line as Houki nodded to Rin who was standing next to her, the two nodding at each other before Houki brought up the line with Laura who trained her aim onto the rogue IS.

"Fire!"

The quiet gale turned into a chorus of heavy explosions rocking the area, the Silver Gospel reacting barely in time just to see two shells explode on either side of it the shields providing maximum protection though it took some damage from the surprise attack. The machine reacted, bringing a lock onto the direction of the hail of fire from a platform out on the island shore as it brought up its defense network to soften the blows as it tried to navigate through the smoke.

"Not so fast!"

"!" The Silver Gospel couldn't anticipate the sudden appearance of Rin's twin-ended blade staff smashing into its shields again scaring some of the armor as the Silver Gospel switched tactics. It launched away from Rin who continued to pursue her prey relentlessly closing in quickly while firing small pressure bullets at the IS which soaked up the hits with its network of shielding.

Clang! The sudden sound of steel ringing against invisible air echoed behind the IS which turned in sudden recoil at the force slamming into its shields once more, the machine unable to comprehend this new enemy who disappeared into the shadows of yet another round of artillery shells this time releasing smoke clouds blinding its vision as it enhanced its vision to counter the smoke finding its target outside of the cloud, Gospel then rushing towards the shape as the artillery bombardment ceased.

"Not even close!" A voice yelled from above as the Gospel narrowly escaped two thin lasers passing where it once was as it retreated back from the attack, Rin appearing behind it for another swipe not giving it a chance to get into long range.

"Ha!"

The ambush was working so far, and Houki was actually happy for once…her previous encounter with the IS may have ended in disaster but she learnt a few things from it, one being that the Gospel was more of a long range than being close up and personal though Ichika and her were able to close in on the Gospel the IS was an adept at keeping distance from them and forcing them away into tight corners with its arsenal of lasers. So why fight it directly when you have long-range backup to distract it? She snapped out of her thoughts as she rushed in again, the Silver Gospel couldn't express it but the movement of the IS revealed that it was trying to compute what it was reading.

"Try and take on all of us at once if you can!" Houki yelled as she and Rin did a team attack on the Gospel which responded to the attacks quickly by bringing up individual networks of shield polygons to counter the hits forcing its assailants back before it tried to discern the bigger threat to go after, though it didn't get the chance to execute it.

Bang!

A laser hit the back of the IS, the Gospel already anticipating an attack like it turned around and used its polygon shields to defend itself against the backstab as Charlotte let out a growl flying in circles as she traded blows with the Gospel who was responding to her lasers with its own overcharged wings, the French pilot avoiding the large beams as best she could.

* * *

><p>With Ichika back on the island<p>

"Uh…" Ichika groaned as his eyes fluttered slightly, his vision still as hazy as he tried to focus blinking slowly shaking the feeling of weight and crust off the corners of his pupils.

"Where…am I?"

"Ichika, good you're awake already." Ichika craned his neck and head in the general direction of the voice, his body struggling to implement the acquired energy from the long sleep he acquired as Ichika felt his skin inflame when the fabric of his sleepwear rubbed against some of the bare red skin, causing him to flinch at the injury and his attention went to his arms which were beginning to feel sore before a head of dark greenish tint hair appeared next to him a palm outstretched to support the boy's back. Recovering from his slight daze as flashes of the mission begin to come back to him Ichika turned to see his older sister looking at him stoically as she rolled up the boy's sleeve checking on the progress of his recovery.

"Chifuyu-nee…"

"Don't talk, just relax for now and regain your strength." Chifuyu worriedly expressed as her brother tried to raise himself up before the patches of bandages rubbed against his exposed skin making him hiss in minor pain.

"Houki…the ship…"

"It's alright, Ichika Houki is doing fine. She and the others are fighting the Silver Gospel now." Chifuyu explained as she watched her brother slowly raise his head in sudden clarity, the energy rushing back through his system into his feet as the injured Orimura crouched forwards putting his fist onto the ground of the hard floor in support.

"But the Gospel…my One off Ability can reach it, I have to join in the fight."

"Ichika I don't think that's a-" Chifuyu started to protest before Ichika gripped his fists and interrupted her with a sharp glare.

"I am not sitting here doing nothing and you're not going to hold me back, Chifuyu-nee." Seeing that she was quiet, Ichika looked dead on at his sister who stood up beside him facing him with her stoic orange eyes. "I heard that you cancelled the mission right after I got hurt."

"Ichika, I was concerned for the safety of you as you are family to me…"

"Which I understand completely if this was a normal mission concerning two pilots but the fact that you call it off when only two of us were sent out and you had many other student pilots who are experienced to do so. One of them was a trained soldier in a tank!" Ichika protested as Chifuyu simply folded her arms, already expecting such a response as she crafted her response to it carefully.

"And what about the others like Rin, Cecilia and Houki? Charlotte, even though she is an experienced pilot comfortable the 2nd generation model it isn't going to outgun or even catch up to a modern IS like the Silver Gospel, or even Cecilia and Rin who only used it for practice fights this far like Houki? The only time we the IS academy were ever called into a mission was a very rare and only regarded in terms of proximity or if the higher ups were sure you could handle such a dire situation, and this was one such exception due to the display you performed with Laura in the national competition." Chifuyu rebutted the accusation of Ichika with logic, putting a hand to her head to massage the overall stress she accumulated in the time that Ichika was out of it. During that time she was desperately searching for teams to replace the IS pilots, hoping that maybe a military base would come in to take over the job than letting the other personal IS in her care actually try and complete the mission when it was obviously too high staked for them, and watching out for the movements of the Silver Gospel which she did with fervor like a hawk stalking its prey. To say that the past day or so had done nothing to ease her concern and anger, having Merle attacked by someone who used poison and attempted to take his life already set her at a concern and uneasy position to be in was one thing however the injury of her own brother was something that increased that concern of hers to a maximum level. In fact, Chifuyu almost wished that she had brought _**that**_ along with her for the trip so she could do the job herself though even the legendary pilot knew that the Silver Gospel would not have stood a chance if she went out into the field right then and there to do the mission…it wasn't the good days when she had Byakushiki or even that first IS she piloted at her back now, times were different.

"Ichika in case you haven't noticed now, I hope you see that the fact of the matter is that no matter how much you'd like to jump in there and take down Silver Gospel you have to face the truth: Silver Gospel is too strong for any of you and having proper experienced pilots from the mainland should cut it." Chifuyu spoke sternly as Ichika paused in his argument unable to even think of a comeback as he noticed something else.

"Where's Houki?"

"She and the others are out there, doing the fighting with Gospel. I told them to stay put, for god's-" Chifuyu suddenly changed wheels in mid-sentence as she cut herself off, giving a well-placed fist over her mouth as she coughed. "I mean I told them to not do anything reckless until I can get proper reinforcements and then we could leave it to them…however it seems that they're just as reckless as you turned out to be after your kidnapping." She chuckled lightly at the statement as she recalled how they glared at her with determined fury back at the control center mimicking her own when she first started out as a pilot herself for Tabane's projects…she was a different person back then.

"I have to get to them, please." Ichika pushed, his eyes giving a pleading look.

"Ichika, I can't let you just…"

"You stopped the mission because of me, I don't want to put the other girls in danger due to my injuries anymore…I'm sick of being the one who's left behind all the time. Back then since my kidnapping I wanted to prove myself to you that I could handle anything that I was handed even the top assignments, I don't want to be seen as weak then or held back by anyone." Ichika spoke with a hint of disdain as he recalled the events that pushed him to even try to make himself a better person, Chifuyu shifting uncomfortably as she glanced sideways past Ichika's head before Ichika moved past her exiting the doorway.

"I don't want to be left behind anymore I need to prove myself to the others and the world that the only male pilot still has talent like the other girls. Don't try and stop me on this, I have to get out there." Ichika left his sister standing where she was, the older woman ruffling her hair with her hand while holding her stern mask letting out a breath of hot air.

"I wasn't planning to." She muttered as she stared out at the direction where her brother had gone to recalling something from not too long ago earning yet another tired sigh from Chifuyu.

"Merle, this self-loathing of weakness…was something you were telling me all along."

* * *

><p>With Houki and team<p>

"Damn it, the Gospel is starting to adapt!" Houki cursed as she avoided an array of lasers from the Gospel which had begun to fight back, lashing out with its arsenal when it managed to break out of the corner they forced it into. Although to Houki's consolation, she and the others had landed multiple hits and the unit was beginning to stagger from the shattering blows in the initial attacks as the IS fired more lasers, the pilots dodging it as Laura jumped into the air from her platform avoiding a laser that struck the rock formation and sent it crumbling into the waves.

"I lost my ground position, I can't give any support!" Laura reported, her head hung slightly in frustration that her post was taken out as Houki immediately turned to Cecilia who was still up in the air trying to use her pieces to force the Gospel into a trap area, though trying was an understatement right now.

"Cecilia, there's no choice you have to pull back for now!"

"But-!" Cecilia was about to protest when a sudden blip was detected by the radar of all the girls and Silver Gospel which had paused in mid-flight as it tried to process what the new anomaly was. Laura was the first of them all to speak instead, her voice sending chills down the spines of all the girls.

"It's Ichika!"

Ichika breathed a sigh of relief as he felt his arms stiffen slightly from the small bites of the burn, the boy bringing himself to rest at the side of Houki and Rin who were already eyeing the boy with sudden glances.

"Oi Ichika, good to see you're doing okay!" Rin yelled first, as Houki gave her rival in love a glare that promised some jealous payback while the Chinese girl grinned wolfishly back at her in return.

"Sorry you guys had to take on Silver Gospel while I snoozed around, but now let's take down that IS!"

"Ichika, I suggest we do the previous maneuver now that there are more of us to distract it!" Houki said as the other girls already acknowledge the plan from their viewing of the battle previously, Laura once more firing some artillery strikes to force the Gospel into defense as it ducked and weaved out of the way before Charlotte appeared from the side and shot at the Gospel with the laser bits supporting the French girl and alternated between distracting and protecting the girl while Cecilia fired from her rifle at regular intervals.

"Now, Ichika…up to the sky!" Houki ordered as she and Rin charged forwards pushing the Gospel into a defensive block before they disengaged, Ichika already going into First Shift as he rushed the Gospel which suddenly noticed the two girls jumping back before it eyed the sky above bringing up the network of polygons.

_Shields' output to maximum defense…alert, must protect pilot safety._

"Take this!" Ichika yelled as he brought the Naginata down with a mightly slash, once again enveloping the world in a bright flash of light.

"Woah!" Rin said in awe as she couldn't tear her eyes like the others away from the scene as Charlotte and Houki snapped out of their lost thoughts.

"Crap, everyone shield yourselves!" Charlotte yelled to the others as they avoided the small outburst of the energy wave, similarly causing devastation to the island behind before it disappeared back into the source the other girls lowering their hands as they tried to get a good glimpse of what was going on down there before a single dark figure flew out of the clash looking like it was carrying someone in its arms.

"ICHIKA!" Houki yelled in joy as she saw Ichika appear from the vanishing light, in his depleted but happy state the Byakushiki standing proudly as the IS held a slim yet healthy figure of a young woman with long blonde hair beyond her shoulders in her twenties similar to Chifuyu's age, clearly unconscious from the events that had taken place.

"It's done, mission accomplished." Ichika stated with confidence as Houki flew towards Ichika, ignoring the fact that he had a body as she reached out…

And hugged him tightly (don't ask me how they can do it, I'm just being a love-sick puppy writing this passage), much to the sudden shock of the other girls who were either then seething with jealous rage or in Laura's case sharpening a knife that suddenly found its way into her robotic extended hands, a finger running along the edge with venomous words spewing from the corner. As for Ichika though he was absolutely shocked at the display of affection as he stumbled back careful not to drop the pilot of the Silver Gospel before he turned his attention to Houki.

"E-Eh!? H-Houki, yo-you're…"

"Thank god you're alive, Ichika!" Houki burst out, her eyes holding back the tears as Ichika remembered what happened the last time before he smiled at her comforting her with a smile.

"Houki…it'll be fine, it's over…it's really over."

* * *

><p>2 days later, Merle's room<p>

"So that's what happened, hmm I understand completely now." Merle said as he looked up to see the blonde-haired American pilot who was sitting down in a cross legged position while explaining her story of how she was attacked by Phantom Task and during the fight which broke out, she was knocked out and the safety system installed had gone to work ignoring commands and left the battlefield to the rest of the pilots and Chifuyu with Yamada as well who was serving refreshments of tea mixed with some coffee which Chifuyu and the pilot accepted, the teacher looking up to the group of young pilots who had made the battle possible and succeeded the first high-ranked assignment.

"Ichika, Houki, you all…I am proud of you all for a job well done. Even if you had to break some rules, you guys got out alive and rescued Miss Fairs and for that the government is sure to have you guys in their books." Merle commented his opinion of their resounding success, the group smiling brightly at each other.

"Well if it wasn't for Houki joining the group in the joint assault then…" Charlotte was about to speak in humbleness before Fairs cut her off, the American blonde smiling in thanks.

"All of you did outstandingly from my point of view even if I was out of it. I saw the footage after my recovery, and you were well coordinated for a team…I would like to work with you all if there is a chance." Fairs commented as Charlotte gave a beaming smile, leaning back slightly to set her eyes upon the only male in the group of pilots. "You though, are even more interesting than I thought you would be. I heard the news but to see the sensation of the decade in action…now that was something incredible you pulled out there young man. I won't forget it."

"Oh it wasn't that special! I just had the help of the others, that's all." Ichika said with a wave of his hand.

"Humble and honest, now if only there were men like you my age…well then," Fairs suddenly paused in her statement as Merle suddenly had a smirk on his face, leaning in to hiss at the American pilot who then listened in on a few words from the man Ichika and Chifuyu suddenly giving angry glares at the man who ignored their death stares, Yamada who was nearby the duo suddenly shot her head up eyes wide at the two who were suddenly giggling to each other trading whispers as Ichika felt a chill crawl down his spine.

_Somehow I feel this is going to end badly for me._

"Say, Ichika dear." The sudden voice of Fairs made Ichika turn his attention to the female pilot unaware of the plots that were set in motion for him.

"Oh yes, what is-ULP! U-UH, U-U-Uh…Na-Natasha F-Fai-Fairs-san?" Ichika suddenly felt his legs go to jelly as much to the horror (and anger) of the females in the room, Natasha Fairs suddenly brought her fingers to her bright white blouse and with a single movement unbuttoned the top button of her top immediately sending waves of panic into the young man as Natasha gave a cute innocent look.

"What's wrong Ichika dear? Never seen a woman try to defuse some of that heat from the sun?" She said almost innocently as she moved to another button, the horror of the females more evident than their anger.

"Uh, NO, no that's not it…uh, I mean…"

"It's okay to stare sometimes, you know. After all…" Natasha unbuttoned another button as she got up from her position as though possessed by an unseen force, the older woman smirking inwardly before she stopped at the third moving her body down to face the poor shy Orimura with a teasing look. Meanwhile Merle was already cackling in his mind, the man turning to face Chifuyu with a cocky grin at her glare his lower lip covering his upper lip with a small mew of mischief, Natasha already enjoying the tease she was giving the man who saved her life as she bent forward letting Ichika catch the top of her slightly exposed cleavage making the boy shut his eyes in instinct feeling the sting of killer intent surrounding him like a mist.

"I sometimes like the taste of young innocence." Natasha's voice sultrily blew a puff of wind into his ear, Ichika already planning to make his move before the American gripped her arm and with a single motion laid a kiss on the cheek of her target. In that moment, Merle's smile burst through the roof as the inner corners of his mind counted to five as he saw the room went coldly silent from the sudden action of Fairs who then took her time to disengage the kiss leaving Ichika stunned as hell, the girls pissed as angry lioness and Chifuyu's own eyebrow twitching while her eyes couldn't help but follow and as for Yamada…well she was on the floor breathing heavily from the teasing as Natasha Fairs moved away smiling almost nonchalantly as she did so making her way to Chifuyu who was about to explode on the assistant teacher before Natasha assisted the man from his fate.

"Oh Chifuyu, I wish to speak to you regarding the attack." Watching Chifuyu recover from her shock, the American put on a serious face as she addressed the woman whispering into the ear.

"It regards a pilot who looks like you."

"I see, looks like Merle will be spared for now." Chifuyu said as she caught on, the mention of her own sibling was bad news to her…the woman sighing as she gestured to the way out of the room Natasha smiling as she made her way out with her following behind, Chifuyu giving one last glance at Yamada who was laying on the floor and then one at her brother who was touching the side of his cheek where Fairs had kissed him mouth agape like a fish.

"Yamada we're leaving." The green-haired woman recovered quickly, leaping to her feet as she mechanically followed Chifuyu out muttering brief statements to herself while trying to hide the huge blush on her face as Chifuyu gave one last look at Merle, the man shrugging nonchalantly making her groan in frustration before she left.

"Ichika." A sing-song voice from Rin broke the wafting tension on the air, Ichika feeling his back straighten like the devil was on his heels as the boy turned to watch the air turn venomously cold and saw the dark looks of four (with one Charlotte smiling) girls staring at him, Cecilia and Rin having cold yandere looking eyes while Laura suddenly drew a combat knife from her boot as Ichika instantly put his hand out to defend himself.

"Please don't kill me, it wasn't willingly!"

"Ichika…please enlighten me on what you're doing with her." Cecilia spoke, Rin nodding with her while Laura stared straight at him displeased.

"How dare you take the advantage of this situation, wife."

"I won't have you doing that while I am around here, Ichika." Charlotte said as she smiled widely at him, her features promising pain while Houki gripped her fists.

"How dare you…"

"Uh, girls what are you trying to say-" Ichika said with dreaded breath before Merle decided to add fuel to the fire.

"Just so you know he looked like he might have enjoyed it a bit." Merle spoke as Ichika looked angrily at the man momentarily before he eyed the five girls unsure of what to do as they advanced onto him all semblance of negotiation was unsalvageable as they were after only one thing.

"Hey Ichika!" Ichika turned back to Merle who then smirked at the boy tilting his head slightly to the door.

"Run, rabbit…run."

"IIIICHHHIIIIKKKKKAAAA!" The screams of five girls sounded throughout the complex as Ichika took off running, jumping into the courtyard as he ran from the terror behind taking one deep breath and roared to the sky.

"DAMN YOU MEEEERRRRLLLEEEE!"

* * *

><p>With Amasa, hotel room<p>

Amasa closed the door to his own room, the puppet dematerializing into thin air as he sat at the armchair in the living area relaxing his own tense muscles which had unconsciously triggered when the shockwave hit, the aftershakes he was currently experiencing was far greater than anticipated a shiver down his form.

"You can come out now, I know that you are in here." He spoke simply before a shadow outline of a body appeared out from the shadow of the kitchen counter, Amasa immediately tensed as he slipped a gun out of his pocket dropping the suitcase before he flicked on the lights to reveal his unwanted guest the sight stunning the former agent who widened his eyes slightly at the figure who was bathed in the lit room while he rubbed the bridge of his nose a hand shielding his face.

"Oh for god's sakes, don't flash a dead face in front of me." He muttered aloud intentionally, the guest simply gave a chuckle at his own comment as Amasa waved his hand away from his face and moved to his armchair sitting down relaxing his own shaken muscles throbbing at the cores. The guest then came over to the nearby armchair allowing the dim light to shine on the two as Amasa looked down at a glass cup shoved over to his side of the table filled with water, the former Phantom Task agent taking a sip of the water giving the guest a hard look.

"I know what you're going to say, and I am pissed as hell." Seeing his own guest hesitate from even speaking Amasa continued his own voice slightly off chord as he gave a cough sipping more from the fresh cold water that was prepared to quench his thirst. "I want answers from you, our deal…it was broken off when you spewed that crap to Amasa and literally switched my profile in because he looked-no, because he feels and talks like me. I don't know what game you're pulling here, and I want answers…now."

"…" The guest greeted him with nothing but silence, swirling the glass of water in hand as if to spite him as Amasa didn't take any offence to the behavior the man instead sighing as he drank.

"I wanted some goddamn peace, I told you this when I was about to leave for Russia…hell you even handled the whole mess of staging my own death, and then suddenly just when I was about to have a good thing going you rip it out from under me. Why?" He demanded from the guest who then placed the glass onto the table, folding a nervous hand as it reached for its face.

"There isn't much time, Amasa." His guest interrupted the brief silence as Amasa lowered his gaze, settling for the armchair while he drummed his fingers onto the leather seating of the chair tapping another finger to the side of his head.

"Will Amasa be there?"

"He will, once he finds out about me it's all going to come to a point where he will demand answers which you and him both carry. And I suspect that means a lot to both of you, there was no say in the matter." The guest spoke briefly, Amasa clutched the left side of his face sweeping his hair back preventing the hairs from sticking into his exposed eyes.

"Great, I am looking forward to it."

"There is one thing I want to ask of you, Amasa…something that's been going on in my mind for some time." The former agent stiffened, his grip becoming much tighter as he clawed the surface of the leather.

"What is it?" He asked though reluctant to answer any of the person's questions, his guest leaning forward in the chair to stare upon Amasa with dark eyes similar to his as he shrunk back slightly. Amasa dared not eye the guest, his own words and thoughts on the matter that was put forth to him was not the first time it had been brought up before ever since he had received word from the ambassador of a person who looked just like him playing hero to strangers, something he couldn't exactly fathom though the German seemed even more so inclined to pursue the matter of their deal to make sure he wasn't fooling around in the open. But the damage had been done, people who were part of the spy agencies were hunting him for answers as to his presence and he was forced to kill in many incidents to make sure he could get this far to have Merle put down and silence his name forever…that was ultimately what he had promised himself to do, to ensure he was safe.

"Do you still want to go along with this?" Amasa didn't hesitate when he forced his own eyes up to speak to the person in front of him, showing grim determination as he picked up his glass and shook the water inside in front of him.

"If I don't, I may as well never live." He said as he leaned back into his seat, folding his fingertips together while he stared up at the ceiling not even waiting for the reply as only a shuffle from the armchair and the tapping of feet walking towards the room entry was heard, a click of the door signaling that his guest had left before Amasa stared down at the dull glass surface.

"His purpose and ours are one and the same, after all."

End

Author's notes: Yet another hint at the weakness of Ichika regarding strength, for the animation I saw I felt that he was snapping at himself for years and I think I said that in a previous chapter in the story. Well I hope this isn't so sudden as Ichika still doesn't understand the meaning behind Merle's own words regarding strength and it would bite him in the ass as a forewarning…however the next arc would not involve Ichika or the other girls, I decided as it would be one of those private matters for Merle.

As for the guest, I would let you guys guess the motive of this character while dear Amasa prepares to leave and begin his plans…though what does he mean by the final statement? What is Merle's greatest desire and purpose?

Find that out in the next chapter of Infinite Stratos.

* * *

><p><strong><span>One more thing,<span>**

You guys have been the greatest in your support for this story and it is due to this and your continued feedback and what not, I am giving you now the only just released and fresh out…Prologue for the next arc that will be coming to you soon after the term I have in May….

The Amasa, Amasa Arc!

_**It's time.**_

"**Merle, watch out!" Chifuyu's wounded cry rang from the back of Merle who then turned to narrowly dodge the attack staggering back as he stared at the figure, bleeding from his right shoulder where the previous attack had scarred him the teacher gritting his teeth while Amasa simply grinned from the man's back as Merle turned to face the hidden adversary, stretching out his arms in a wide open embrace of the howling winds.**

"**What do you think, Amasa? This day was coming for all of us, the final chapter where both our true ambitions can be realized in the world! Don't you even know what good you've done by bringing that box to me?" Amasa laughed as he used his fingers to bring Paladin Ripper to his side dematerializing his broken weapon before he moved his right set of fingers, the hidden shadow leaping out at Merle who then spun away putting his AIC into a bubble shield before he reached into his holster and brought out the second semi-auto he had acquired firing at his twin who just smirked.**

"**You think bullets can stop me?" He said as the image of Paladin Ripper came back to its master's aid for a brief second protecting him from the shots, disappearing again. In that moment, Amasa had already drawn out a thin length sword curved similarly to a katana's with a western hilt built as customization as the man admired the work of craftsmanship.**

"**It would have been me that would have been able to help Koko build her plan for the ideal ordered world from scratch, but if wasn't for your dear friend Tabane…none of this would have been necessary!" Amasa screamed as he snapped his fingers, Merle in the meantime moving towards his doppelganger with fast strides using the bubble shield as he avoided the swipes of Amasa's second puppet using the detachable lasers from Cecilia's Blue Tears to distract the IS as he closed in, raising his pistol upon the man who was causing Chifuyu such suffering.**

"**It's over!" Merle switching his AIC to a smaller radius bringing the gun to bear…**

**Only for his arm to be severed from his body instead, Merle's eyes widened in utter shock unable to even comprehend what he saw before his doppelganger spoke menacingly relishing the scream that Merle elicited from the spurting of blood pouring like a little fountain as the AIC glove fell to the floor seemingly sinking into the marble floor of the viewing platform they were fighting at from the puddle of blood.**

"**AAAARRRRGGGG!"**

"**No." Amasa grinned, bringing the sword into a very familiar and deadly stance his feet stretching out in an arch one in front of the other while he lowered his body ever so slightly as Merle blinked rapidly through the pain though the blurry vision told him enough when the man stretched his right hand out which had taken the reins of the strings for the second puppet which was fighting the detachable lasers a deadly chill down Merle's spine as the sword tip gleamed in the deadly moonlight.**

"**Merle!" Chifuyu screamed out, her own mind trying to resist the heat haze that formed in her brain wrecking any coherent thought.**

"**Hiratsuki style…" Merle tried one more time to back out as he moved to the side, but yet he was shocked to see that Amasa was smirking as he glanced sideways at Merle.**

"**Say goodbye to Chifuyu then." **

"**No…don't!" Merle realizing his mistake recalibrated his shield to a bubble as it covered the wide arc, running back towards Chifuyu as he felt his step and breathing slow to a close halt.**

**Five seconds…**

**Amasa charged towards the fallen body of Merle's lover, Chifuyu struggling to rise instead finding it difficult as the fire in her body refused to die out, the woman finding herself on her knees.**

**Four seconds…**

**Merle could raise his only unamputated hand as his AIC suddenly began to flicker off, the teacher immediately widening his eyes as he reached out to intercept Amasa's collar.**

"**Don't even think about it, Amasa!" Merle screamed, stumbling slightly as a flash of the kidnapping went through his mind.**

_**God, please!**_

**Three seconds…**

**The AIC bubble suddenly failed, flickering and sputtering before him as Merle tried a desperate last act to grip the man but instead failed to notice Amasa's own puppet that had shaken off the laser bits as Merle brought a purple spear to his hand. The puppet reached out with its spear and tried to stab him as Amasa slipped through his doppelganger's grasps.**

**Two seconds…**

**The puppet suddenly found itself blocked by Merle who felt the spear fly towards his back as he spun around watching as the bright purple spear make contact with the tangible steel of his opponent making him gasp out a heaved breath as he cursed the lost opportunity, giving one last horrified glance at the man who was charging at the downed Chifuyu.**

"**CHIFUYU!"**

"**HIRATSUKI…"**

**One second…**

"**I'll aim for your fucking neck!" Amasa leapt into the air, ready for the final blow…**

**Merle suddenly recalled the first time he had faced this situation before, the man unable to forgive himself as the blood loss began to have its toll on him forcing the man to kneel on a knee while blood poured from his stump.**

"**Just like that time…I'm sorry, Chifuyu…" He began to say tears already pooling at the corners of his eyes.**

**CLANG!**

**The world seemed to slow down for Merle momentarily before a sudden slash lashed out as Amasa realized the black shadow that suddenly appeared in front of Chifuyu, snapping a finger before a burst of wind blew the leaping man back. Amasa cursed loudly as he fell backwards, rolling into a breakfall as he pushed himself to his feet breathing ragged from the charge glaring daggers at the figure.**

"**What the hell are you trying to do…"**

**The figure sheathed its hand as the hand moved to the hood covering the head of the wearer, a smooth movement throwing the fabric piece off to fall at the shoulders as a gust of wind blew hard at the open air platform Amasa narrowing his eyes while Merle could only widen his eyes at the close shave Chifuyu had as Chifuyu struggled uselessly against the pain. Under the hood of the trench jacket, with pale blue and emerald green dual colored eyes and ebony night hair leader to shoulder length with the left side of the hair being tucked back around the ear stood a beautiful woman about the same age as Merle, her own teeth gritting into a snarl while her black colored lips frowned deeply in disgust her skin slightly weathered. But what shocked Merle wasn't the appearance of the woman instead it was the next words that tumbled out of the man's mouth, something he wished that he never heard in the whole of his life as Chifuyu's own eyes widened into deep shock.**

"**How dare you fuck with me…Amasa, sister?"**

**End of prologue for Amasa, Amasa Arc**


	26. Important News for the story, Teaser

IS: Update News

Sorry guys but due to the busy schedule IS Valkyrie will be taking a short break though I am sure that a chapter would be released soon just telling you that I'm having a mental break from all the half-year stuff. As compensation for your anticipation I do provide yet another teaser for the new arc which I still have not yet managed to get to crafting due to the difficulties of this year's adapting to my study.

So here it is, the teaser which will not tell you more than what you know already or hopefully even guess like the movie or video game ones that spoil everything they touch…to a certain degree.

_Sung to the tune of House of the rising sun_

_There is a site at Reichenbach_

_They call the Final Fall_

_It's been the ruin of many men I know_

_And more will not survive_

_I once was young, too hot and brash_

_I thought I ruled the world_

_However, I found that it was dull_

_And so I bid Phantom goodbye_

_[Music break]_

_I had a dad, he was a dick_

_I slit his wormy throat_

_My mother, oh ma I loved so dear_

_Her fate I will keep concealed_

_There is a site at Reichenbach_

_They call the Final Fall_

_It's been the ruin of many men I know_

_It's time to end the fight._

And there it is, the teaser from me to you guys and I honestly want this next arc to be a success.

See you guys soon and thanks again for reading and supporting this story as it goes into the final arc for the season one equivalent.

Regards,

The VI.


	27. Break and Fun, The Gale

IS: Valkyrie

Author's notes: Well welcome back, I hope this decision did not scare you guys. So let me explain some of my actions in the previous chapter to clarify a bit for you what you just read.

So yes, why did I get Chifuyu to do something akin to a turnaround when she spoke to Ichika? Well it kind of gave everything away in the conversation for her to discern what Merle's words regarding her brother were true. Also there is the fact that in the prologue from the previous chapter there was this line.

"**How dare you fuck with me…Amasa, sister?"**

Yes it is confirmed, Amasa has a sister but the thing is that now you're all wondering whether this is some joke or maybe I've actually gone Bioshock Infinite on this…but now I just have a parting word for you guys to consider throughout this arc when you see the name Amasa being used in the arc this is what you should think:

Amasa is a name true but it is not the worry of many Amasa's running about that I want you to focus on though does blood truly mean something or perhaps something else hides the true meaning? With that, I bid you adieu.

* * *

><p>The VI<p>

The Cross to bear: A Change of Perspective

Unknown POV, Location unknown

_We have the same purpose_

"Idiot."

The voice of a woman in a brightly lit room sounded out against the imaginary image of her own brother, the woman unable to form further arguments as she rose from her bed dressed in a simple black nightshirt and matching knee-length pants her arms stretching out in simple gestures to tense the aching muscles which plagued her since the night plane ride to Japan, a hand lazily smoothing through her strands of ebony hair while eyeing the outside view of the city the famed international IS academy lying in sight distant yet prominent as if an announcement to the world of its already well-known status. The woman didn't even turn her eyes away while she glanced hard at the building holding her target, recalling the discussion in the island hotel room with her insufferable sibling who was grinning and full of himself making her clench her hand unconsciously though her anger was brief.

"Amasa, you're a fool to try and do it…even if I can somewhat agree with your intentions. Those boxes ripped us apart, now you had the gall to show up and call me to Japan for this? Just what are you planning?"

To be honest with herself, the woman was scratching her head in utter irritancy pushing her sibling away from her mind as she decided a morning shower is necessary to cool herself off from the stress of that evening peeling her body out of the bed to stand, the crack of her neck from rotating the skull jilted her awake. Stepping into the shower with her night clothes neatly placed in a basket inside the bathroom, the young woman began to wake up from the warm feeling of water splaying her hands over her face once over to make sure the water rinsed her eyes. Reaching towards the soap and gripping the large bar tightly the ebony-haired beauty started to clean herself, a lazy squinted eye falling to the holster lying at the open tray with a spare double-barreled pistol's handle exposed to the condensation of water stains which she had loaded two spare magazines neatly secured and covered from the water, the woman putting the soap to her chest while musing over the picture she noted of her target.

"Anastasio…Merle…" She murmured with a hint of curiosity and intrigue at the man who her brother claimed to be like him, and excluding Amasa's own eccentricities about the whole 'becoming one' she felt as if the man were…familiar to her somewhere though she couldn't recall where or when it was familiar, like a lost concept or perception of something reminiscent of a life lost long ago. The woman traced her slender yet firm legs with the bar of soap giving a small satisfied smile at the comfort she could personally enjoy, the image of the man flashing through her mind once more as a discomforting reminder of her own mission.

"What an interesting cover…"

Finishing off her shower, the woman made her way over to the living room shedding her towel and folded it onto the small table grabbing the set of underwear and putting on yet another black silk shirt which was more formal than the nightwear including a pair of light blue jeans to compliment the color mix mulling over something that the hotel meeting with Amasa had uncovered. She had to be vigilant, her brother had gone and joined up with Phantom Task as well as evaded capture and death for a long time…his strained relationship with her too was a well-known and admitted fact towards both parties, and to invite her to Germany at a reservation for three in the famous Reichenbach restaurant was ringing alarms and raising flags to her that it was a prelude to his mad game.

"Amasa, just what are you planning to do?"

* * *

><p>2 weeks earlier, the Orimura home<p>

The morning glare of the sun began to seep through the window with the drawn navy blue curtain in the dark filled room, the smell of stale air giving off a wafting and slightly pungent stench before a hand shot out from beneath the covers of the single-bed sitting near the right-hand corner of the window leaking small rays of light slowly reaching for the curtain and moved the hand roughly with a grip across the window, giving the sun full access to the interior as a second limb moved the cover from over the owner's tired weary face as Merle stared up at the ceiling deep in blank tranquil admiring the white painted wooden surface with small cracks forming inconspicuously.

"Is it even possible?"

That question again. Merle for the umpteenth time could not even comprehend what he had seen weeks later when he, in the absence of Chifuyu and Ichika who he had left out of the picture on purpose, had decided the time would come for him to open the music box he was frowning and scratching his head over for the past year and 6 months with help from an unwanted source during the trip to the island for a holiday. When Merle had internally debated when he was going to open it, he had considered letting Chifuyu actually be involved to identify what was in the box if he opened it and had no idea what to think of it. Hell he didn't know why he kept the note which held the solution away from Chifuyu and even hid it from her, his gut feeling was uneasy about letting his girlfriend even setting foot in his room without his consent or presence since they got back from the trip while Ichika was in his own room expressing exhaustion from the long journey home and crashed on his bed leaving Chifuyu and him alone for the night. What happened next was somewhat uncomfortable, at least for Merle who was beginning to understand what it meant to be left cornered with his feelings though the situation seemed to have been resolved…in a somewhat rough fashion.

Looking back at the covers which covered most of his chest, Merle registered the presence of something heavy on top of his shirt the blanket rising and setting with small peaceful breaths the young man took a few seconds before he let himself smile his free hand going to the tuff of black messy hair sticking out as a groan of annoyance at the untimely stroke lasted shortly as peace resumed in the quiet room. The young man thought back to the day when a few words changed the dynamic relationship he had with her, and the result of what happened made him smile lightly.

* * *

><p><em>The day before<em>

"_We're finally home!" Ichika yelled at the top of his lungs, the boy yawning as he did so after the declaration of relief rubbing his slightly crusted eyes as Chifuyu and Merle were taking their luggage from the boot of the taxi, the driver had offered to carry their bags out but they had politely refused the gesture. As the pair reached for the last piece of luggage, both young adults had not expected that their hands would suddenly reach and with their eyes distracting them by Ichika's words and so Merle turned his view back towards the boot when he felt something warm slip into his callous hand, the man instantly put on high alert as he glanced downwards unaware of a small gasp from the woman beside him who had noticed where her fingers were._

"_Eep!" Chifuyu immediately withdrew her hand quick as a snake, the woman rubbing her shoulder in discomfort and a red blush on her cheeks while Merle quickly grabbed the suitcase snatching it from the boot and onto the floor slamming the boot of the car before signaling the man to drive off, his payment already received as the driver held out a hand driving off down the wide street under the evening sun. _

"_Chifuyu, you okay?" Merle 'innocently' questioned, his genuine concern made Chifuyu blush further her mind churning with private thoughts before she answered placing a hand to her cheek. She didn't take long before she took some measure of control over her words and tone, managing to utter a wave off of the man's cheeky display of concern for her as she stared at the ground like it was interesting._

"_H-Hm? Yeah, I'm fine…thank you for your concern." She stammered at her words, unable to meet the man's eyes as Merle already felt himself blush lightly at the cute sight before him aware that his plan to tease had backfired into something intimate._

"_She's…really adorable when she does that." He muttered to himself, making sure he was whispering as Chifuyu on the other hand dug a heel into the ground unsure of what to say before a sudden outburst from a very tired Ichika walking over from the open front door leading into the shoe area towards the luggage, his exhausted mind already slightly irritated as he gripped the handles of the suitcases ignoring the two adults._

"_Hey sister, I want to eat something soon so can we just move along now?"_

"_E-Eh? O-Okay, I'm coming in now!" Chifuyu spoke her mind already taken from the embarrassing gesture not too long ago as she joined her brother, walking towards the house with a thoughtful look followed closely by Merle who was almost ready to giggle at Ichika's own nonchalance towards the situation which preceded his absence already thinking of several ways to help the boy sharpen his mind all of which involved a bucket of cold water or a cup. The trio then closed the door behind them, settling into the quiet atmosphere that had taken over the once lively home for the past 2 months in preparation for the national tournament ruined so early by Laura's rampage, Merle having to shiver at the chilly wind which passed through them._

"_Brrr, what was in here while we were gone, the ice age or the fridge?" He commented sheepishly as all three occupants moved up the stairs to the second level where their room laid down the hallway across from each other the exhaustion of the long taxi ride from the ferry station drained them of all emotion or reaction to anything funny, the man moving to his door dragging the roller bag behind him as he left the other two alone to their tiredness the feeling of heaviness starting to lean over his back while Merle tried to steer his case._

"_Well call me when dinner's ready, I need to rest for a while." He said while scratching his head, Chifuyu already making her way over to the man and grabbed his hand as it curled around the doorknob, stopping Merle in his tracks to look in surprise at the sudden action as Chifuyu gave a cough hiding her own feelings behind the mask of indifference. Merle had the instinct to back away and flinch at that sudden presence of his interest, the woman giving a look that demanded something from him._

"_You still haven't recovered yet from that paralysis poison the attacker put on you, just let me help you." The woman left no room for complaint as she opened the door ignoring the fact her hand was placed over Merle's own while doing so, taking his luggage and setting it onto the floor of the simple room looking as fresh as Chifuyu recalled from the first time she made it into the guest room except for a simple poster that held a hooded figure dressed in a grey hoodie-trench jacket, eyes and upper face hidden in the shelter of the fabric cover while holding a semi-auto 1911 and smartphone in the other hand, a text written message with the words "CtOS". Apparently it was a promotional poster for a new video game which Chifuyu heard from Merle who spent a day talking to her about the games he had experienced or was hoping to play, she had made a mental note to keep an eye for the video game stores for recent updates while she shopped without him…and there was yet another partial reason why she chose to pay close attention to his ramblings more so than usual back at the school._

_In a week's time, Merle would be having his birthday, which would get him one year closer to her age until she has her birthday herself late in the year. In a week's time, they would still be enjoying the rest of the summer holiday while Ichika had invited his massive portable harem (as Merle so cheekily pointed out when Ichika announced his summer plans on the way back before he forgot), and things would continue the way they were: their lives, her relationship…._

_Her relationship…_

"_Chifuyu, are you okay? You are quite tired after all, let me help-" Merle's own tired voice with a reassuring hand on her shoulder made her nearly lose her mind, his soothing voice carried a calm and peace over his tone…it was deep, and that characteristic seemed to appeal to Chifuyu's instincts screaming to take the man as hers before anyone else. However, with the barest slight of willpower she managed to claim a hold over her own emotional state which was about to boil over the woman shivering slightly as she kept her voice still and static, putting some strain of her overwhelming happiness to give him comfort._

"_I'm…fine, Merle I just needed to take a break." She insisted but contrary to her own beliefs about the outcome Merle instead chose to do yet another thing which made her heart flutter. He stretched out his hand, and cupped the side of her face as he leaned in close to her ear his lips frowning at the ends of his lips in concern._

"_Don't start lying to me now, I do know you very well." That statement made her throat tighten, Chifuyu unable to breathe properly as he traced a finger across the nape of her neck skillfully making her squirm though she didn't show it evidently while her thoughts were in overdrive. Ever since the day they nearly kissed something was stirring in her dormant mind where she hid feelings from anyone except her brother whom she could remotely trust after their parents' abandonment, and although she already suspected the feeling she couldn't find herself to speak up after that. When she saw how Tabane was patting and smiling brightly at Merle who gave her a reassuring smile that he reserved for her during those private times in their room at the beach, she felt a venomous thought wish itself against her friend for stealing that smile away from her…she couldn't help the thoughts of pulling Tabane away from him, childhood friend or not however it didn't register in her body. To make it worse was the times when Merle would 'accidentally' move into her path his eyes full of wonder and hope, his words would always be cut off by her busy schedule or other business which involved her family though she never forgot those times that Merle's eyes fell briefly before picking up its usual brilliance, stinging her heart._

_Looking at Merle even now, reminded her of how much she had been pushing him away from going into the matter of their relationship as well as sending the wrong signals. And to be honest she was still uncertain about whether she should just step up despite her well-known confidence in many things._

"_I know…however-"_

"_Chifuyu I have a question. Since that day when we nearly-you know and this avoiding of me for that moment on needs to stop here." Merle withdrew his finger, the woman let out a soft groan of concealed frustration as she tried to calm herself Merle sitting down on his bed. He didn't notice that Chifuyu was still clutching the handle of his suitcase, the man just drummed his fingers in rhythm while his focus shifted to the window avoiding the fact that Chifuyu was still standing with her back turned to him, her breathing erratic as her hazy mind conjured images the awareness of the closed doors and a window with barely drawn curtains increasing the images. Ichika was tired, he was most likely asleep in his room right now and wouldn't be awake for about an hour or so-_

"_Uh…right, about that day." She murmured to herself as Merle took the silence as his own turn to continue talking, his fingers clenching and unclenching almost ritualistically._

"_What do you think when you see us together?" _

"…"

_Silence was present in the room now, the light of the evening creeping away as it left the two young adults waiting for the moment to pass letting Merle's own words sink into the room before Chifuyu could even respond, her eyes wide open with surprise that he would choose such an awkward time to spill the question. The young resurrected man spoke with a hint of worry as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his fingers avoiding the dance over his knees like it was a dangerous toy deciding to voice his question again for her to hear._

"_Chifuyu, I want the truth. Whether you know it or not, since that day when we barely and close to kissing we never even talked about the extent and borders of where this relationship has been going. Madoka occupies your mind and Phantom Task, I can respect that these are issues you need to be on the lookout for but-but I want just this once to know something that we can both answer. What do you think of us now?" He asked, his voice already straining from the pent up frustration and a demanding glint in his eyes were evident as Chifuyu's body shook in response to his words. What did she think of him? _

"_I…" The words were lost when unexpectedly, a knock on the door alerted the two adults to the new visitor that opened the door and stepped into the awkward atmosphere eyes matching that of Chifuyu's staring blankly at the facial expressions on both of their faces, the chill running down his spine as he spoke up from the silence._

"_Merle, Nee-san, I am preparing dinner so what do you guys want for tonight? And I was hoping Nee-san could be excused from your room to help me out with this preparation, it's a lot for one person to cook." Ichika requested feeling Merle's analytical gaze targeting him and roving over his face, a few seconds was all it took before Merle let out a fake yawn stretching his arms slightly due to them feeling numb from the aftereffects of the toxin his head tilted towards the door. Chifuyu didn't hesitate to jump on the que for her to leave and bury the topic for the moment, the woman joining her sibling as Ichika looked at his teacher and muttered a 'rest well' to the man leaving him to his privacy. _

"_Ichika…" Chifuyu started however her words were stopped by a hand held out in front of her by Ichika who now dropped all pretenses in response._

"_Nee-san, you should be more decisive about this choice." He didn't say anything more, moving towards the kitchen while motioning the woman to join him in preparing dinner leaving Merle to rest up and sort his thoughts. It didn't take long before they got into the motion of making dinner, the issue abandoned in the mundane task of sorting the table and cutting up vegetables and small slices of meat for the dishes eventually Chifuyu settled herself down onto the chair, the exhaustion of the trip was lessened through the task and she found that she was thinking straight instead of that haze clouding her mind a few minutes ago. Ichika had gone up to grab Merle from his room, the sound of footsteps thumping down the stairs followed by soft yet firm stomping made her nervous._

"_Nee-san, I brought Merle here we can eat now." Ichika stated as Merle walked unsteadily into the room, his bearings over his limbs still struggling to be controlled setting himself beside Chifuyu who was beginning to feel her cheeks flare just from sitting near her object of attraction. She began to eat quietly, with her own food becoming somewhat less flavored as she recalled his words back in the bedroom unaware of the small glances her brother and Merle gave her and each other as they silently ate their meal neither of the adults speaking to each other unlike the previous days when Merle could tease and joke about with the other two he was unusually silent. Ichika wasn't an idiot either, he could take a hint from the grown man where it concerns matters like these and his own personal headaches specifically five girls he did not wish to name were giving him the same if not equal trouble. _

"_Nee-san, I'm going to sleep now make sure you wash up after yourselves. You too Merle-san goodnight and rest well." He announced suddenly, the two adults now waking from their private mediations to see the Orimura make his obvious escape from the atmosphere giving them room to go about their business. Only that Merle and Chifuyu were both at a loss for words to say regarding the incident which hung over their minds, the quiet of the brief cut in the tension was covered if not completely as Merle frowned clearing his throat being the first to speak his mind._

"_Chifuyu, it's killing me already…this waiting, the secrets, everything that you know hidden from my eyes until I find out about it later than before. Please just answer me just this once-" _

"_I…don't want to discuss this. Not here with Ichika." Chifuyu's voice broke the sentence, carrying a measure of conviction in her words as she stood up and began to bring her food along with her. Instead she felt a tight tug at her sleeve stopping Chifuyu in her tracks as she gasped lightly at his gentle nip of the cuff, Merle making sure she did not drop anything before he proceeded on to wrap an arm around Chifuyu's waist shocking her as she kept a grip on her plate immediately placing the plate on the table, her body already moving on instinct as she spun in a circle stepping back from him as she did so. Chifuyu didn't know what had come over her as she broke from his grip, giving herself some distance as she bowed her head as if in apology._

"_Merle, I just…I remember that time. I in truth don't know what I should say or do otherwise in response to what I see us as." She tripped on her words as she bit her lower lip, she was unable to meet his inquisitive gaze lingering with a deep frown already ready to assume the worst case that would arise from such a confrontational topic as Chifuyu rubbed her forehead, the stress of the past few weeks had been taking its toll on her as she found a haze clouding her mind._

"_It's easy Chifuyu, all you have to say…" He trailed off as he moved towards her, determination guiding his actions while a small line of red across his face revealing his own embarrassment before he encircled her waist and moved his face close to hers the woman gasping in half-surprise and yet entranced by his action however he stopped short of his lips centimeters from hers as he spoke with a low growl filled with want._

"_Yes…or no."_

_He didn't wait long for Chifuyu's own feelings to show itself, as his lips finally found itself being the target of the woman he held in his arms…and boy as he allowed himself to be the submissive person in this small tangle her mouth unable to tear away from him felt right. Not that he had anything against rough foreplay however he had his limits on how things can proceed for him, and right now sex before a marriage isn't his sort of thing no matter how many males would argue otherwise. What he didn't expect was to hear from a distance as that thought hit his mind the groans and painful shrieks of perverted as well as other men cringing clutching their chests at the image of a man hugging a cute beautiful woman in his arms. Ignoring it, he instead found his mind wander with different thoughts want eating away at his mental resistance as Chifuyu didn't stop her actions, moving her body and Merle's towards the kitchen wall flipping herself to bring Merle up against the wall making it as though she cornered him her kisses short and left little room to breathe._

"_Merle please…" Chifuyu said her breath already taken as she struggled to breathe, the man looking at her with a hint of sadness and fear the latter prominently striking out to Chifuyu as something that brought back a lost memory she wished hadn't showed, Merle cupping his hands to the sides of her head without force._

"_I don't know how to say it, but since that day there have been times when you concerned me more than usual. I didn't get the other symptoms of love, like those googly eyes or even the whole 'occupies my every thought' kind of thing," he paused letting out a forced laugh at his own attempt at humor to lighten the air the dry laugh struck Chifuyu as a familiar tone she used when Ichika asked her what had happened the day when her parents and sister disappeared altogether in one day blatantly telling her in a note that they had abandoned their two children, unable to speak of what she was thrust into. "I couldn't even begin to wonder when the attraction grew from that day to a full-blown love for you, and I know you feel it too…Chifuyu we both have been dancing around and skirting after such a long time without anything official or even a nod to Ichika of what he thinks of us, I think that there is a time where you try and push your work aside just to hear what you actually want."_

_She couldn't respond to this, her mouth flapping open and close as she tried to sort out her muddled thoughts which had been frozen by this declaration while Merle stepped towards her and grabbed her hands his head bowed humbly in a rare gesture of embarrassment something that was foreign and new to the young woman speaking with a voice reminiscent to that of a shy child asking for something precious to him._

"_Accompany me, stay with me tonight at my room…just us and the quiet to consider our relationship in this. I will not go far, not until you can sort out what your feelings towards me mean to you, but I want you to know mine…and what it means to me."_

* * *

><p>Present day<p>

He blinked briefly, the memories of that night were one of the better nights he had spent with her (without sex by the way, he's not that sexually active) came to him again as he remembered them lying on his bed taking in the view of the ceiling while Chifuyu had blushing red cheeks from the make-out sessions they would have, only to be more timid and shy around his presence a change which even caught the attention of Ichika who was preparing for his trip to the water park with all the girls…again a plan that he considered would not end well for all the ladies in the group who he suspected to be awestruck that they got to be on a one on one date with the gentleman. His sigh did not go unnoticed as the flicker of movement and eyelids alerted the young man to the slow but groggy wakeup call of his newly acknowledged girlfriend, the woman opening one lazy eye as a small smile rose from her lips smiling dim.

"Morning, Merle."

"Morning." He couldn't find anything much to say, noticing that she was not wearing her work clothes to sleep as usual whenever she came back home during the weekends when they did instead she wore a rare sight of nightclothes which consisted of a navy blue t-shirt that did nothing to hide her chest's size while the grey silk pants adorned with small flower patterns stretched to her feet, covering most of the limbs with the fabric while her stray fingers danced upwards towards Merle's face the relaxed man already felt himself entranced as he grabbed one of her hands and gave a light kiss.

"So, Ichika is going to be going out with the girls soon on his little group date today. Anything you and I can do besides moping around in the house?" He asked as Chifuyu hummed in response, the monotone groan was replaced by a finger rubbing her eyelids as she hooked the man's neck in a swam lock pulling herself upward to move herself to him in a kiss, Merle's response was just as eager in matching hers. A knock at the door alerted the two who heard the familiar voice of the younger Orimura sibling who did not bother to open the door all the way instead just opening a small gap in the room to pass his message.

"Merle, I am going to go out to the water park with the girls already!"

"Yea I got it, multi date already? You're quite the playboy, Ichika…commitment is an important thing to consider when you are faced with so many potential mates." Merle couldn't help but tease, the jab made Ichika obviously embarrassed and shocked as a light sudden cough was out of his mouth his hand covering the gape before he responded a bit more sheepish though a light teasing tone to his words.

"Well I gotta go now, have fun Merle…Chifuyu-nee." He said as he moved away, the eager and excited Ichika walked down the steps dressed in a casual wear of jeans and a bright white shirt with a beige colored unbuttoned outer shirt acting as the jacket, the long sleeves of his shirt sticking out from the short sleeves of the outer shirt while a bag packed with a bottle and swimwear alongside the improvised lunch box he hastily crammed into the small square container his fingers clutching the bunch of tickets in his hand gently while he counted them again, just to make sure all were present as he left the house. Locking the door behind him, Ichika now turned to make his way towards the station in the next neighbourhood the teen inhaling the fresh breeze rolling by in the morning before he walked on a series of events already lined up in his head about what to do with the girls each blissfully unaware of a shadow from a corner watching him with great analysis and interest.

* * *

><p>Orimura house, meanwhile<p>

"So, looks like your sweet little brother made some breakfast for us already…shall we get started?" Merle spoke with eagerness to taste the nicely made food on the table, a small written note from him which told them to enjoy the day without him during the trip to the water park the young adult looking over at the teacher who was now opening up a small can of beer to drink before Merle cleared his throat purposefully at the woman.

"Ahem, so would you mind leaving the alcoholic beverages to another day? You'll get addicted to them if you keep this up, and I want you to be sober in our relationship….if not mostly."

"Relax, I won't go overboard." Chifuyu waved away his concern but did put in a mental note to herself regarding the limiting consumption of beer in the future, the woman then recalling the light conversation that Ichika shared with Merle earlier her look of puzzlement was not missed by Merle who was stealing glances at her face.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, just didn't know my little brother had a sixth sense in knowing I was in the room too." She lightly said to which Merle seemingly frowned at that, his mind switching to being mildly serious with her to clarify anything as he grabbed a cup of milk and slowly drained it speaking as he did so in between gulps of the white liquid feeling the freezing in his throat causing him to take a sharp exhale placing the cup on the table.

"Well he caught us going up to the room before, and he talked to me about it yesterday so I told him that it might be a daily occurrence soon…well," he paused as he felt an icy glare already starting to burn into his back the man ignoring it as best he could while picking the box of cereal that he was going to eat filling the cup of milk to the maximum as he grabbed a spoon from the drawer next to him, plopping himself on the chair opposite her. "That is, if you still want to continue doing this."

"I do, Merle…it's been a while but I want to take this relationship slowly and I will tell you in advance that for me to trust you completely, is still a problem you'll have continuously with me. I just want to let you know what you're getting into." She stated firmly as Merle simply gave a light-hearted grin pouring the cereal into the milk and giving it time to dissolve slowly into the liquid before he lifted the spoon grabbing chunks of honey-coated oatmeal biting down on the softened soggy oatmeal with a sigh of pleasure, his eyes not leaving hers as he replied with as much confidence he had in his being.

"I'm not going anywhere." He said with finality as Chifuyu gave a smile filled with reassurance and her tension in the shoulders began to loosen, Merle giving her a staunch look. "I know you don't want to lose me like your family did to you, but I have no where to go...and also I feel the best place right now is your company." That seemed to pique the woman's interest as she gave a raise of her eyebrow, holding back any comment she was going to reply back with as she slyly grinned at him in amusement.

"What did you have in mind?" The question wasn't left unanswered as the two finished their breakfast, both adults silently thanking Ichika for this moment of silence as they rose from the table with Merle giving her a finger to his lips pointing a finger towards the front door in a teasing manner.

"Change into some outdoor clothing, because I am going to take you out on a big trip."

* * *

><p>With Ichika<p>

"There they are! Hey!" Ichika waved towards the distance where a group of girls were gathered outside, Houki being the first to turn towards the source of the voice behind her as she saw the joyful face of the densest man in the world come into view as she felt an instant chill run down her spine, the girl looking behind her with a harsh hiss at the four fuming stares which were glaring with hidden hatred and in Charlotte's case utter disappointment with annoyance at the deception which Ichika had unknowingly placed them all into as Houki only gave a violent wave of her hand to demonstrate her point.

"You should have expected this…" She murmured as Ichika came to stand in front of the girls wearing a goofy smile and scratched his head, letting out tired breaths from running due to his lateness. The other girls somehow managed to quell their respective annoyance and anger at being tricked by the boy, despite the fact that in actual fact he had no idea what sort of fantasies he had induced each girl with just by the wrong way he voiced his suggestion resulting in the current situation now in front of him. Laura was the first girl to speak up with a glint of repressed anger, though she swallowed her broken hopes and folded her arms her head facing the other way from Ichika who was still unsure of the looks being shot at him.

"So much for getting my hopes up, Ichika…you are such a tease."

"Ichika…no baka." Charlotte uttered next, getting over her shyness and annoyance to speak out her disappointment as she gave a sharp glance of disapproval whereas Cecilia had recovered herself and folded her arms letting out a haughty 'hmph' in retort hiding any emotions she may have felt during that time.

"Ichika you are such a dense and infuriating person."

"H-Huh?!" Ichika couldn't believe what he was hearing from the girls who already expressed their own disapproval at his unintended action the teen already beginning to open his mouth just to ask heaven what he had done to deserve such a treatment before Houki let out a sigh of her own however this was directed at him instead, massaging her temple as she too considered just what she saw in Ichika that made her fall for him in the first place.

"Perhaps a re-evaluation of your density is needed…"

"What are you guys talking about? Tease? Infuriating? What is going on here, I just wanted you guys to go out with me to the park…is there something wrong?" The poor confused boy spoke in an already muddled scratch of his head ruffling his hair, the girls simply sighed in unison unable to believe how this boy could be very dense even with his words and structuring it so it appeared to each of them that he had asked them out on a date Houki feeling a similar pang of irritancy like the time when he kept to his promise of winning the tournament and not even bothering to ask her if that promise could still be valid even in such an outcome…not that any of them could predict it anyway.

"Never mind, we should go on the bus to the park before we are late." Houki suggested instead as everyone silently agreed leaving the corner towards the bus station which had a growing crowd gathering waiting impatiently for the buses to take them to their respective holiday destinations, the group moved a few steps when a sudden blast of wind hit their faces Ichika clutched on to the tickets in hand stuffing them in his pocket as they hastily made their way to the station the wind dying just as they reached the entrance and the protection of the building sheltered them, Ichika looked back with a puzzled look as Rin noticed the boy's hesitation in his steps the Chinese pilot called their ticket-holder over with a slap on his back.

"What's wrong, Ichika? Come on, the bus is leaving soon."

"Huh? Oh right, it is." He said with a bit of a daze as he felt his arm get hooked under a pair of hands the boy only having a moment to be on stable ground before he was dragged with full force through the terminal the boy yelping as he saw Rin run through the crowd without so much effort. Then again, she had been doing IS training which requires a fit body to be able to pilot it so it was something to be expected from an IS pilot to separate the crowds with such ease. The boy used the silence to think about the schedule as a thought passed through his mind while he was being dragged, Rin already greeting the rest of the girls who were just about to board the bus Charlotte looking at the sea of people trying to find the missing members before they arrived.

_Huh…I was sure the weather was going to be hot and dry with little to no wind._

* * *

><p>In the bus<p>

A woman dressed in a light blue short-sleeved shirt patterned with a small white 'X' on the back stopping just at the middle of the spine of her shirt and white pants sat patiently in the furthest seat from the doors, her eyes hidden behind small sunglasses the woman playing nonchalantly with a lock of her black hair noticing the target which she was stalking walking hand in tow with two girls one brown haired and the other a blonde with blue eyes, the latter she recognized as English and the former an Asian girl fitting the description she had collected on the group. Finally, she noticed the target that was having a surprised and confused look as the bus was filled with mixed chatter from the occupants and the girls the boy scratching his head as he sheepishly nodded at one of the girls as she closed her eyes relaxing into the seat for the rest of the long uneventful trip.

"Found you, Ichika."

End chapter

Author's Notes: Okay, this is the new chapter which I was busily collecting over the month…it's not as good but I hope you enjoy. Now this is the time for evaluation of why I do the things I do.

Firstly, I just did the whole Chifuyu kisses Merle scene and other things and why I did it was that I felt it was a good start where after months to a year of holding back and talking as well as wondering when they would officially hook up after that earlier chapter when he broke down and told her outright what he was feeling…that didn't get any attention after that. That was because it was for this final arc, the relationship is now established and no I didn't want Tabane to be involved in the whole triangle act simply as the fact that when she asked Merle for a date it was to feel 'human' or 'alive' than a factory of ideas.

Now about the confirmed sister to Amasa, I did say that there are two Amasa-two men with the same name and also person figure in this universe right then…however although this can be Bioshocked into an easy spoiler such as Comstock is Booker or something like that I decided to make this a bit more…different and so this comes out with the idea a sister is there, but her purpose and abilities I cannot say. The box is put aside for now but I will add in the later chapter after at least one or two more chapters focusing on the break they have in between the arcs, before this plan will be revealed. The cameos by the Jormungand characters is not by chance, their involvement is somewhat related to the maddened Amasa you see.

Now I've said too much and I need a drink of water, thank you all and do tell me your thoughts on this chapter and what you guys are expecting to result from this…I will see you guys on the next IS Valkyrie.

VI


	28. Conflicted, Depth

IS: Valkyrie

Author's Notes: This small story is a small chapter, I thought about writing it on a whim but it gives you a thought into the character I made…this chapter is to simply understand. Hope you guys had a good six months and may the rest of your year be as interesting in both your schools and homes, well wishes to you all. As for the new chapter, it will be on the way soon as I said in my profile I have massive editing and trying to plan out the story.

Interlude Story, Mind of a Mirror

There is never a chance to turn back. Sometimes you want to wish it but it doesn't happen the way you want it to, you want a life of normality and it gives you some pain.

_Stab*_

You know the feeling when you truly want someone to really pay, for all he did to you? The type where you really, really want to hurt the people who hurt you and wish for their existence to end? You may recognise the feelings of that as a kid, if you were either spoiled or your parents were just unable to learn what was best for their child or maybe they were just plain jerks or assholes to you and you felt that their actions were supposedly designed to hurt you intentionally, but to be able to desire to kill from that kind of experience?

*_stab_

I desired it, and I enjoyed every minute of driving that knife home into the very person who destroyed my life. There was no turning back once you start down the path you know…when you get what you wanted from the start and you think, would it be any different? It's something akin to a Christmas present where you always want, more like you bug your parents by pulling on their pant leg or yelling at the top of your lungs while energetically pointing at the thing that caught your eye in the mall, though your parents couldn't afford it and even if they did you would take the item and forget happily that your parents gave you that gift? Or you get surprised when the gift is not what you expected, and you throw a tantrum about it even when your mind knows it wasn't possible?

*_stab_

Each time I thought about it, stabbing my own father was something I wanted to do, it was an ambition to see myself standing over him for the final blow and bringing judgement by my own bloodied hands. I didn't feel justified, not since, not ever. I told myself that it was he who took away my life, he who took away my childhood through his beatings after 8 years of care and concern before he revealed to me he called me a burden…attaching that meaning to my name for spite.

Amasa, the burden he felt he had to shoulder. The son he never even wanted in the first place, and the son who he eventually began to see as someone he wanted to use. He acknowledged me, you know like any father for 8 years then the change was sudden and it hit me and my mother with full force, and this proceeded for 10 years, in that time I questioned his sanity or his conscious but eventually my mind decided to give up on understanding.

*_stab *drip_

Merle had it lucky, he died by his father's hand while I…I on the other hand had to endure the torture and the shame of being forced to do what he wanted me to do to him. Like Merle I had to protect my mother, and if it meant losing my chance to share intimacy with a woman I love for the first time I would throw it away just to see my mother unharmed and well. That I did. With my own father no less. My body is bloodied and stained even today, the innocence is gone as I gag on the stench and pound my fist in the shower doors all that time wishing I couldn't see the blood coming from me…Merle never had to suffer this, and he was close but never had it the whole way whether by luck or chance.

My father in the end deserved what he got eventually when I stood up to him and told him to leave me and my mother alone and he tried to kill me in response to having his authority defied, he deserved every piercing strike into his fleshy inhuman cavity though I could wish my mother wasn't around to witness what I wrought on him when I finally caved. I can close my eyes or just find the quiet in my room as the video continues to play, the screams of my mother and my father's dying croaks…I can see my sister's horrified face if she had been there, had I not helped her escape our home and into an orphanage she would have turned out differently from now.

They say you can never find a person who knows almost the exact extent of what you've been through and why you think the way you do, the chances of such a thing can be laughed at and considered impossible to occur. Merle is living proof of this exception of fact and what cannot be possible or even in this world be close to knowing exactly the heart of the problem I face, he is the person who I wished had part of his life put in mine to make it better, maybe if the end of the story meant my death I wouldn't have to put up with this suffering any longer than I possibly can stomach. Perhaps I needed confidence, to step out of the shell and allow my life to be thrown away.

But I cannot allow it, my life is precious. I wanted to treasure it, but I know I can't. That's why I ran away scared and felt alone while my mother…well, her fate I will keep locked away as one of my many regrets while my sister, she was left out of it and I hoped she remained oblivious to where I was. She is the one person I wanted to be the good in this world, I still believe to some extent I am beyond saving and that I was a dead man walking with enough life to keep me going…I am abandoned, left to rot, a person who believes he should have died beside his father that day, but sometimes I felt my sister is still out there watching me alongside the trauma. I wanted to be alone, so I planned my death in advance just to be safe so that the world couldn't bother me again with their problems and I would live my life without anyone trying to intervene but destiny has a funny way of doing things. The arrival of a me, a soul different from mine but experienced what I have faced in the wake of such odds stacked against our sanity and willingness to live making two paths crossing against each other in the sea of possibilities forced my hand, made me remember.

I know that everything I have done is wrong. My morals are questionable, my goals are not of emotion but logical methodical precision and inhumane in all aspects including the solution being of man not that of God…but when I am finished, when I stand and see my other self my mirror shattered in front of me will it prove to myself importantly that the decisions I made are the right ones, no just tragedies with no reason but with a change.

It is only then that I will allow myself to die.

Finally, I can now have a chance to die or disappear.

Either way, it will all be over.

Interlude end

Author's notes: I always wanted to give Amasa more depth, he is a justified father killer and the trauma has not left him for years from a child until teen to young adult working his own way to where he is. However, justified is a morally challenging term…sure, kill the father but your mind is either trapped or you find yourself in a prison of your own.

We all want vengeance or payback, however we carry humanity and potential to do the lowest and horrible deeds...and some of us do enjoy it. This is a conflicted character I wanted to put in, to make you see what he tries to express…as for what it means to the story, we'll see.

Either way, it will all be over soon.

The VI


	29. The Key, Park Fun and Sudden Death

IS Valkyrie

Author's notes: Okay guys now this is the latest chapter. I am right now in holiday trying to recover from the first semester and so now I think I am able to continue but first things first I have to thank the readers like AJR who did warn me of these run on sentences and yes, after I read through my story I felt the story is being drained from this and so I will do my best to slow down and check my sentences to make sure they fit.

Well guys thanks a bunch for the advice and I will do my best to make sure the environment of the story is fitting of you guys.

Disclaimer: I do not own this series it is owned by the author of the light novel series Infinite Stratos, for if I do the light novel chapters would be so much shorter than it already is brief.

_Some visions are things that happen in the future or present, others are dreams which circulate into imaginary worlds unknown to our knowledge…_

* * *

><p>Local Mall at noon<p>

"Urgh! Oh crap, *cough* I burned my *cough* oh!" The woman from the apartment began to choke and sputter as she clutched her bare throat momentarily feeling the hot searing pain of her mouth becoming scalded and dry, bringing a fist to cover her mouth while she grabbed the nicely folded paper towel unraveling it to replace her hand over her nose and coughing mouth snorting into the small rough tissue whilst smelling the unwanted scent of coffee being expelled from her throat as she wiped the tissue across her face shaking her head as she did so, much to the attention of several of the café's patrons who were sitting near to her looking over their shoulders worriedly until she recovered the café's light environment from before immediately resumed as patrons continued the normal chatter from before, forgetting the incident altogether.

"Good, my blouse isn't stained by the coffee…would be a shame if brother saw me like this." She commented as she glanced around the interior of the large building which she found herself camping in for the morning, her recollection of the plan bubbling to the surface as the woman nervously picked her tea spoon and begin to stir wildly into the large steaming cup, the wafting smell of crushed coffee nuts and chocolate filling her nostrils from behind her as she looked down at the slices of strawberry ice creamed with waffles left untouched the moment it was served to her. Pushing aside her private thoughts for the moment, she took another careful sip of the coffee making sure not to panic and down half the drink like the last attempt deciding to allow herself some time for this relaxing meal as she picked up the fork and stabbed it into the waffle bringing the full slice to her mouth and chewing on the combined flavor the sweet taste of the strawberry filling her mind with joy.

"My my, this is incredible! A waffle served with icecream…I should learn how to cook this when I have the time, find a book about the desserts before meeting brother…I wonder how he would be like?" She wondered aloud to herself as she giggled silently, enjoying the strawberry flavor flourishing in her tastebuds while she drank the now warm coffee sighing happily as she imagined how her plan would turn out. To be honest with herself, she had her own expectations about her own brother going about his own mysterious motives his way but something in her own gut seemed to predict that Amasa wouldn't risk exposure of himself in the open, instead he would conduct his own actions in secret which did give her an advantage to do what she needed to do.

Her only chance was that she could talk to Merle before any of that happened.

"Burden and God's loved…Merle and Theophilia, such a rhyme and ironic that it fits each other perfectly. Although…" She paused unnaturally, her eyes losing some of the childish light as her mouth began to curl downwards at the prospect of the meeting as she suddenly turned her head right near the sliding doors which served as one of the many entrances to the mall, just in time to see a woman with dark green hair leaning her head onto the shoulder of a tall tanned male with short hair looking in fascination at the large hall filled to the brim with various stores as the couple decide to stop by a clothes shop, the sight of the happy couple made the newly named Theophilia cringe not out of repulsion but instead tracing her sights on the man with deep genuine concern. Turning back to the cup of coffee she stirred it again muttering to herself while she waited for the opportunity to happen.

"It's about to start…the voice and its choir will sing to you soon."

At the water park

Ichika shielded his eyes as he walked out of the bus, the metal automatic doors began to hiss as the sound of rubber scratching hard floor sounded just as the doors were opening allowing the horde of tightly packed, squashed beings who were sweltering and sweaty from the hot summer day relief as the open stale air revitalized their lungs. Following a short moment, the occupants began their hurried and brisk departure from the vehicle the sounds of whispers and excited shouts at the final destination the mixed opinions clouded into a sea of chatter as the boy felt his shoulder being forcefully shoved aside Ichika giving a grunt as he moved himself to the right as the body of a heavy-weighted man gently brushed several other passengers who warily avoided the mountain of meat, the man muttering apologies and thanks as he exited the bus. The bus captain patiently waited at the wheel placing his hands behind his head cupping it into a make-shift cushion as a whistling tune sounded from the driver's cockpit, Ichika turning to observe the group of girls who had sighed in relief that the claustrophobic trip was at an end and it was only at this time did Ichika freeze in his roaming over the outfits of his female counterparts, the sight which greeted the boy would make any other man jealous and stare at the attention he was receiving from the beauties encircling him.

Houki was dressed plainly, true to her nature as a person of simple pleasures and tastes wearing a men's short-sleeved shirt covered with sky blue stripes which were in a vertical pattern modestly hiding the well-endowed features she was gifted with dark brown skinny shorts which hugged her slender legs, the baggy pouches that were sewn into the sides of her pant legs made her look more boyish despite her obvious feminine traits. Her hair had changed drastically, instead of the large ponytail which stretched from her head to her lower waist it was replaced with a shorter and tamer version of the hairstyle reaching just below her neck and at her shoulders though the only thing that stood out for Ichika was that she still had the same childhood hair tie fixated in the same tie pattern, however with Houki's hair cut shorter the appearance of such a loose looking hair tie holding a shortened ponytail was awkwardly placed and ruined her fashion. Ichika then set his eyes to the right of her towards Rin who was busy chatting with her English rival smiling slightly at how the two girls' relationship had developed from crossing gunfire and swords to being comfortable with each other's presence, an occasional tease prodded by Cecilia made Rin giggle in response nodding in agreement. The Chinese girl was dressed modestly as well with a tank top with straps on her shoulders the vermillion color giving it off a feel that it came from China the silk patterns of a tiger made its figure and symbolism loud and clear, Ichika had to admit that the last time he had seen Rin in her cheongsam-her people's traditional clothing-during February in their childhood was a sight that surfaced from the corners of his most treasured memories.

Wandering, the boy's eyes briefly came face to face with Charlotte's glance the two of them locking their gazes on one another as Ichika felt his breath hitch in his throat unaware that the blonde French cutie did the same, both of them eyeing down at their clothes. He didn't have time to appreciate the full display of the French girl's dress as an irritated honk from the bus driver's cockpit told the group that the crowd was finally dwindling out, the main story's protagonist immediately turning towards the exit behind the last of the adults who were chatting amongst themselves about other topics Ichika silently gestured to the group as the girls walked slowly taking their time, the boy's mind at this time was busy focusing on other things aside from the quick eye lock with Charlotte attempting to calm his hormone addled thoughts.

_But, she really looks good…ah, I mean, no! I shouldn't be looking at her so…her dress is quite fetching though._

"Gah!" Ichika blurted out in sudden exasperation, ruffling a hand through his hair as he tried to recite pi again in order to wipe a mental picture of Charlotte in her dress with sparkles in the background the simple yet sudden action made the girls nearby glance at the boy with confusion at what could be on his mind as they saw him ruffle his hair with both hands now, the action drawing some weird attention to him.

"Ichika? Are you alright?" Houki asked, though her face was a tad suspicious of what he was thinking now as she took a glare in the direction where Charlotte was, though luckily the blonde was talking to Laura who was asking a few questions about the park. Ichika wasn't the only one who had noticed the stolen glances in which the French girl was throwing to him throughout the duration of the bus trip, and to realize that she was still despite all the cooperation they have done together a rival for the affection of Ichika made Houki feel slightly bitter towards Charlotte.

"Ah, yeah, I'm actually fine…just thinking of something." He dismissed Houki's concern, though he did so gently to make sure his tone was sincere and that he did not appear to blow her off like the past. Seeing the flash of assurance from Ichika to calm her troubled mind, the Japanese girl gave a breath of relief letting Ichika see her smile of acknowledgement the action giving Ichika pause when he took a second glance at the girl his mouth couldn't help but curl into a small smile at the gesture his thoughts going back to Houki as if he had stumbled onto something he never noticed before, staring at her smile which soon disappeared into an embarrassed flutter of emotions as Houki realized his obvious tell turning her head sideways to prevent herself a view of his face obscuring her blush.

_Houki is pretty cute herself when she smiles like that…_

_Ichika…his smile is like that of a sun, warm and inviting…it feels just like our childhood days again. I really wish we have more days like this._

"Oi! Ichika, do you have all the tickets on you?" Rin's excited and impatient voice cut into the thoughtful duo, ignorant of the small staring they exchanged saved for Cecilia, Laura and Charlotte who had through their sharp perception picked up on the tells which was sticking out from Ichika's head ruffling to Houki's own biting of her lower lip as she resisted the inner urge to immediately turn on Ichika and smack him. Seeing Rin pause as she looked at the two with a question mark on her expression, Cecilia sighed and without sparing a thought for her Chinese rival grabbed the small girl by the scruff of her neck yanking her aside eliciting a yelp of anger and surprise from the stout girl who took out her anger on the British blonde pulling at her drill, the action sparking a fight.

"Hey, what is hell was that for Princess!?"

"Shut up and come with me, Ichika knows what he's doing Midget." She said as she tugged with considerable force to demonstrate the point, the yanking only served to irritate the Chinese girl even more who was resorting to babbling while she was dragged away her sneaker soles dragging in horrid rhythm of thumps and scratches with the kicking. Ichika and Houki who were out of the moment then had the feeling of sweating at the antics between the two friendly rivals, not even wanting to contemplate whatever senseless reason that Cecilia would find to drag Rin away while Charlotte was secretly passing a glare towards the couple recalling the dreamy moment they were sharing.

"Charlotte, are you okay?" Laura's tiny voice tore the jealous girl from her momentary stupor as she glanced downwards at the girl tugging the hem of her skirt, her eye looking around while feeling a shade of red cross her face as some of the families looked at the young girl fueling her embarrassment. Laura was dressed strangely for a military girl trained for war, rather casually and looked less stern for the trip unlike what most of the girls were thinking when she had agreed to go to the park. Wearing a frilly crimson blouse with straps over her shoulder while a black pocket was sewn over her right breast followed by the matching grey shorts which weren't still a bit big for and in place of her usual boots were a pair of sandals giving the airs of a normal girl instead of an intimidating soldier, not that the latter part existed even when wearing her school uniform. Charlotte paused momentarily, her own awareness of the soldier's shyness distracting her from the jealous feeling building in her heart at the sight of the two instead putting on a reassuring smile to Laura who felt her anxiety melt in the light of her expression, Laura's shoulder slowly relaxing the tension disappearing.

"…I'm fine, Laura. We should go on and catch up with the others."

"…? Okay." Laura's face of suspicion did not go unnoticed by Charlotte who sweated lightly at lying to the German girl she considered a sister, though then again she felt conflicted when she did take into mind this girl wasn't just a sister figure to her but also a rival in love and affection for Ichika. Charlotte swallowed the bitter lump in her throat, she had not mentioned to either one that she had chased after Ichika before he was found by Laura who then proceeded to advise and then ravage his mouth once more…and she had to admit, the thought of seeing herself not by Ichika's side was something which grated her mind. Though either way, it will only take Ichika's true feelings and thoughts to tell her who is right for him and she would prepare herself should she not be the one for him, she will not force anything onto the boy unnecessarily.

At the park 20 minutes later, outside the showers

"Okay, Ichika…calm down you're just a normal boy at the water park with his female friends, nothing wrong there…nothing wrong there." Ichika was resisting the urge to panic due to his hormones as he paced outside the showers where the others would soon join up with him, though what thoughts were actually slowly seeping into the depths of his subconscious alongside said raging hormones was one completely different realm he couldn't comprehend.

_Well, it's not so bad look on the upside. You got girls, in swimsuits, all around you for the whole day with no interruptions save a few offside giggles and remarks…you should enjoy it._

"Ugh…" Ichika immediately being the pure being that he was put his mind through the stopper making sure he was ignoring the perverted and twisted advice of his instincts which were beginning to taunt him by other means of communication: by simply flashing images of his own suppressed thoughts hidden in his memory bank. What happened next made passer-bys who were walking towards the various variations of pools complete with their own types of entertainment cringe with both concern and thoughts about a spasm-afflicted teenage boy who was too engrossed in the new yet enticing imagery of Charlotte in a bikini complete with a long flowing skirt exposing her left leg, Ichika holding his nose while tilting his head up in agony at the sudden flash before another image of Houki with a white two piece which made Ichika's nose begin to suddenly spike up in activity, the flush of red tempting to reveal itself as the pure boy soon spun his head towards the pool hurriedly making his way past the walking crowds a look of unsettling calm was upon him as he stared at the water on the edge holding his nose.

_You should really see Cecilia in navy blue, perhaps that's what she's thinking of wearing to show off her colors…_

_**Splash!**_

In short, this was going to be quite a long day for the poor boy.

* * *

><p>Around the same time, changing room in the mall<p>

"Merle, I need you over here."

"Okay just wait a second I am just checking out something!" Merle called over to the red curtain which was just beside the entrance to the changing area of the store, the young man smiling to himself as he personally flourished his fingers over a clothes hanger in one of the nearby racks plucking out a vermillion red blouse with frilly shoulder sleeves contrasting with the bottom which was sewn with patterns without any frills, Merle took his own time to admire the pattern and imagine in his own mind what Chifuyu would look like if she wore it. Shaking his head to snap himself out of his thoughts, he looked up only to lay eyes on a peculiar sight outside of the store staring at him with a cheeky glint amongst the crowd of people gathering at the city center where a social event for children was occurring, Merle's curiosity got the better of him as he moved towards the store front, placing the shirt on the table as he did so while staring into the dichromatic eyes of the stranger who was still staring at him as if expecting him.

"Merle! Are you there?!" Chifuyu called after the man, her passive impatience catching up to her as she threw the curtain aside Merle turned his head distracted by the noise as his focus suddenly died right in his throat when he cast his eyes on Chifuyu's direction, the sight dazzling him including the store girls who were whispering in both admiration and jealousy at Chifuyu making the woman lower her head slightly. She was wearing a pure white shirt long sleeved with frills at the wrist opening up like a flower in mid-bloom along with a collar which was meant to be unfolded covering her neck, the dark swirling pattern of waves traveling along one of the sleeves and covering the top quarter of her shirt while angel wings of grey was sewn on the back. Merle stared at Chifuyu who then lowered her own head in embarrassment, the sight doing little to alleviate the fascinated glance by Merle who couldn't speak a word as the sales girls and some of the couples were looking on with dumbstruck faces at Chifuyu's expression which made her look cute.

"S-So, how do I look?"

"Beautiful…absolutely beautiful, I can't say any more about that." Merle replied in response to his own feelings, Chifuyu feeling the flush of red suddenly turn into a full blown blush lighting up her cheeks and making her immediately cover her face with her hands on her cheeks, her mind starting to go to the ninth heaven at his honest opinion all self-control was lost for a minute as she struggled to form a sentence unaware of Merle's eyes going back to the entrance where he noticed the woman with dichromatic eyes, only to find an empty space where she was confusing him as a deep prickling feeling in his gut began to churn in his stomach as Merle felt his memories being prodded at.

_I'm very sure I've seen her before…_

* * *

><p>Water park an hour later<p>

"Ichika no ecchi." Charlotte spoke as she grabbed the bikini top from Ichika who was still clasping a hand over his eyes while his free hand was outstretched and released his grip when he felt the pull as the French blonde placed her bikini top to cover her chest, her mind suddenly freezing as she realized that she could not tie the bikini top properly without some help that fact causing her mind to enter a shutdown mode as she began to stutter to herself.

"I'm really sorry Charlotte but in my defense I didn't even do anything!" Ichika spoke in his panicked state of mind, already damning the consequences as he suddenly heard a mutter from Charlotte barely picking up any of the words spoken as he turned around wondering what had happened before he saw Charlotte's eyes looking at him while her back was turned to him the two strings which held the bikini top together floating in the water, Charlotte gestured to her back while the blush rose to her cheeks brightening like a tomato as Ichika felt his lower region burn up at the cute adorable sight.

"P-Please, Ichika…if you could."

"U-U-Uh, o-okay…"

It didn't take long after that for him to tie the strings, and his embarrassment died as soon as he had finished and calming himself with the lectures he recited in his mind from school adding it as a double motive of recalling details and distracting himself from the fact he was sharing a moment with Charlotte on their own. Unbeknownst to both parties, two girls were watching each with their own pair of yandere eyes glaring at Charlotte who was evidently enjoying this quiet moment as the pair of girls turned to one another nodding their heads in unison. Meanwhile Ichika was not aware of two pair of bubbles approaching, as soon as the boy was done with tying up the bikini top did he feel a pair of warm arms wrap around him trapping him essentially as he was dragged down into the water with force bubbles blocking his view. The assaulter did not stop there however as he felt himself being dragged through the water at a breakneck speed, the boy unable to swim or even kick his way out of the mess as more bubbles were being blown and covered the rest of his face stunning him as he brought his arms out to shield himself however the pair of arms soon disappeared around his knees and two solid grips ripped his arms aside as his mind went into overdrive.

_What the! What's going on her-mmph!_

"Ichika…" A disembodied voice cut his thoughts shortly before he felt something bring him towards a tongue, darting into his mouth without much of a thought as Ichika felt his alarms ring as he realized who it was the boy immediately not wanting to face another killer Rin quickly and briskly tried to break free as he surfaced, taking in a deep breath as he gave a stunned look at his kisser briskly looking around for any sign of Rin with her IS suit activated before he confronted Laura who was putting a finger into her mouth muttering something.

"O-Oi, Laura you can't just kiss me out of nowhere…! And what are you thinking?!"

"But you were having some fun over there with Charlotte and Houki was trying to find where you two went, so I came here and found you…and also, kissing is a sign of affection between a husband and wife. You are my wife, shouldn't this be considered a natural response?" Laura's own monotone and serious tone made Ichika nearly face fault at this, he couldn't even believe that the girl was pretty much acting out her own fantasy of him being hers as he ignored the thought that was appreciating the kiss she gave him while he splashed his hands in the water in open protest.

"I am not some free buffet! I don't think of you like that, I am just trying to be friends!"

"Hmm, Clarissa said that friendship is an important step from her experience…" Ichika sighed in small relief before Laura hummed while putting a finger to her lips in thought before she clicked her fingers as if she encountered a good idea. "Then in that case we can wait until we are of marriageable age and we can pretty much hit it off." Laura's words made Ichika dunk his head into the pool, his mind already melting from the various implications which that could even surface from it. As Ichika was trying his best to convince Laura to not go too far with her own jokes, Cecilia and Rin were already gripping their fists in anger at seeing even Laura was getting too far with her own time with Ichika, their endurance to these moments eventually snapping in both of their minds as the duo jumped out of the bush and much to the shock of Ichika who was not expecting the sudden appearance of the two as he jumped back, the two splashes sounding throughout the park as the air soon grew tense as killer auras hit the poor boy's flight or die instinct, Ichika immediately backing up away from the pool as two girls molted out of the pool their eyes sparkling with deathly giggles sounding in the background filling Ichika with terror as Laura was already growling at the two girls who were ruining her private time Rin jumping first at her fellow midget crashing into the water with the soldier while Cecilia grabbed Ichika's hand and ran for it shouting happily over her shoulder all of her killer instinct dissipating.

"Don't worry Ichika, we're going to have some fun of our own!"

"Just what the hell is going on!"

* * *

><p>With Merle at the mall<p>

Merle gave a shiver as he walked towards one of the stores, his eyes suddenly going deep into thought while his blood began to freeze up in all of his limbs the man feeling an immediate wave of nausea and weakness spreading through him as he brought a hand to massage his own forehead trying to calm the feeling as he felt it die down making him sigh in short relief, unaware that his partner had noticed the gesture as she spoke to him with concern.

"Merle? Is everything alright?"

"…Yes. I just feel a bit weak from all the excitement, that's all I mean I am sharing a private outing with my favorite pilot in the world of course I am so happy I could collapse into your arms." He teased in retort, his face giving a hint of slight pain as he winced ever slightly though his attempt at a cover up did not easily pass by Chifuyu who was already giving him the evil eye and folded her arms, trying to suppress her blush at his own comment at the same time while she glanced at Merle shifting his gaze elsewhere as if out of shame of something. But what it was, she did not know and she was determined to pry open his space and try to find out more about him when she can…she didn't want to be left out in the dark all of the time either especially if their relationship was going somewhere.

"I think we both know each other well enough, to know that something is definitely up with you. In fact during the morning your hand was shaking and you were feeling rather pale, your voice was cracking a bit too. If you're sick Merle, you could have told me."

"I…yeah, I have been feeling a bit ill and had a bit of a headache since this morning but I have been feeling fine the past few days and-"

"No, it's fine we can go to a pharmacy and take some mild medication. I know there was one on the second floor, we just have to make our way there without you falling down on the way." Chifuyu spoke decisively cutting any excuse the man could think of forming as he bowed his head, raising it to level his eyes with hers as he bit his lip before he gave out a breath in preparation as he quietly lowered his voice to that of a hushed whisper while he moved towards Chifuyu's ear so she could hear it clearly. Chifuyu on the other hand, unsure of what he was doing began to feel the blush creep back over her cheeks as she realized the close proximity between them before his voice clearly spoke to her, a tone of happiness and success.

"I managed to get the code to open the box."

"What?" Chifuyu's voice suddenly lost her concern, instead her tone becoming back to the same old 'business mode' which she mostly used in the academy as her interest skyrocketed. Merle could see the anticipation in her, and he couldn't blame her either…she had no idea like him what the box did or its significance aside from Tabane's report which told her just what her hypothesis was about the box's contents which did affect Chifuyu badly, the fear of Merle carrying a live IS orb is something that shouldn't be taken lightly at all especially with the politicians hounding her for her brother. To have Merle taken away for illegal possession of an IS core would be devastating to her, and as his protector and…love, she had to be made aware of such updates on his progress something they agreed on after he spilled his guts to her back in the academy.

"I didn't take it with me, it was too risky to keep especially with Amasa running up on my back now but I did take a look at what was inside."

"So what was in it? What was that item that this Amasa person wanted to take from you and more importantly is it an IS core?" Chifuyu asked eagerly, her own personal hopes was that she did not have to hear the dreaded answer which had been bothering her since the times she witnessed Merle clacking away at the other locks wondering what each symbol was, the frustrating sighs on those nights made her wish that it was something worth the effort as well. Merle took a deep breath, his facial expression was that of uncertainty and he looked caught between wonder and confusion as he shook his head confirming the latter.

"I don't know but inside it was a…key on a string. Digital kind, of some sort I am not too sure of but it is a digital key. However I do not own anything here, not after my…'circumstances' which led me here with the box in hand, when I come to think of it the box was something I never saw in my life. The technology is foreign, yet it feels very familiar to me…like I have seen it before and it frightens me every time I look at it." Merle's truthful words seem to tug at Chifuyu's concern and worry, although secretly she was happy that it was simply a key but not that of an IS core unmade by Tabane and possibly created by someone else was something to be thankful for. However the mention of a digital key…she admitted she never heard of something like that, even much less know such a thing existed even with all the technological advances made since the formation of the IS suits and a wild card such as this was troubling to say the least, and if this Amasa wanted it for himself…

"I admit now, at first I was wondering what Amasa could want from this, but knowing that he knows too much about what it does is a very frightful thought and what kind of potential it can have if unleashed for some weapon. I do not want that, my mission is still very critical and to have him stand in the way of that is frustrating…"

"You never told me what your mission still is regardless." Chifuyu retorted though lightly as she did not want to push her boundaries with Merle, another thing she found about him when they were talking throughout her stay in Germany was his staying away from boundaries set by others if communicated to him verbally and in equal measure he would do the same as well, he cited it off when she asked him about it as something he learned in his childhood not to do and left it alone with a pained expression. Placing a hand on him for a sign of comfort, she watched Merle look at her eyes of encouragement momentarily before he formed a smile of thanks his hand wrapping itself around his waist making her jump slightly as he chuckled on his own.

"Thanks, I needed that…now let's get to that pharmacy you were talking about."

* * *

><p>Time skip<p>

Late Afternoon 3pm, Water Park bus stop

"Man, that was fun!" Rin exclaimed as she twirled in a circle breathing in the fresh air which blew into her face the dull and numbing smell of chlorine treated water and the slight nausea began to sweep away, the group of teens walking out of the entrance to the park flanked alongside crowds of families or teens who were on their way home as Ichika called out to the Chinese girl. Charlotte meanwhile had taken the time to approach Houki after she excused herself from talking with Laura, the German pilot leaning onto the French blonde with an iron grip wrapped around her arm both of her eyes (well the one which is exposed anyway) closed in a semi-stupor due to exhaustion, Houki noticing the girl move to her side as she gave room for the French girl however it wasn't necessary as Charlotte leaned near Houki's ear.

"I saw you just now, staring all dreamy eyed at Ichika. You do know you aren't the only one around here who wants him as well?"

"Is that some kind of threat?" Houki widened her eyes slightly by the words, though her inner self was more adamant to protest against what Charlotte was going to say next, though the blonde girl shook her head in response instead replacing her usual upbeat smile and attitude with that of a cold and serious stare which made Houki freeze in her step, the next words from Charlotte was soft and menacing as she continued to eyeball the Japanese girl. Stepping into her personal space, Charlotte made sure that the two of them weren't heard as she whispered into the girl's ear her voice still having that compassionate caring motherly tone except with a dark undertone to it.

"I am not threatening you, I respect Ichika to choose who his girlfriend should be even if right now he is still…unclear as to what his personal feelings about all of us are and I trust in his own judgment of who is right for him. However I am warning you that if you are chosen and upset Ichika in any way, I am not going to be sorry for what I will do to you if I ever found out. Ichika is like a brother and he loved who I am, so I owe him a great deal…I would never want anything to happen to him." Houki felt a bit of sweat pour at the face of Charlotte who gave her a deadly look before Houki nodded, all words of retort dying off in her throat as Charlotte's scary face reverted back to the kind compassionate expression she usually wore as if the conversation did not happen at all, the girl giving Houki a smile while going back to check on Laura who was in a daze walking aimlessly elsewhere due to her mental tiredness.

"Great! Good to know you are honest with me."

"What are those two doing? And why do I feel like I just stumbled onto a tense situation I shouldn't be in?" Ichika sweatdropped as he felt his eyes twitch in reaction to the shiver he got down his spine, the male pilot mentally taking down notes to actually find Merle and ask him about understanding women when he got the time to talk. Shaking his head, Ichika turned around to walk on towards the bus stop just outside the park looking at the presence of only several people standing or sitting on the benches, the last bus had taken most of the people leaving the stragglers as Ichika and gang saw a bench at the nearby outdoor park, the boy feeling the tiredness seep into his mind like a sedative. Ichika was about to move towards the bench and rest up for the trip home when…

_Beep beep!_

"Oh great, the bus just comes at the right time when I want to get a break…" Ichika muttered in slight annoyance at his dwindling or perhaps even non-existent luck, he thought to himself as he recognized the familiar horn of the bus at the station behind him signaling to the stragglers as they boarded the bus, the boy turning towards the bus stop with the girls who were alerted to the arrival of the transport as they slowly walked to the bus stop where the horn sounded again as if impatiently for any more people ready to leave the park for the bus terminal.

"Excuse me, young man. Are you Ichika Orimura?"

* * *

><p>The mall<p>

"Chifuyu, there's a bunch of games over in the store I gotta check it out!" Merle excitedly pointed out as he ran headfirst into the video game store, Chifuyu unable to voice her own response seeing him shoot towards the store like a madman desperate for his source of comfort. The action caused her to giggle however instead of just wondering how he ran that fast the older Orimura looked on from afar as she saw Merle eyeing the shelves from the distance engaging in heated conversation with the store owner who was having an energetic smile on his face. From a distance he looked like a child who had received a free voucher for a candy store, Chifuyu felt her own feelings overwhelm her thoughts as she let out a whisper as if to the wind her own smile forming into a genuine grin of pleasure with the memories of their trip coming to a close.

"Merle…thank you, for entertaining me and helping me enjoy myself for the first time in years, I really wish we can stay like this…like your promise."

* * *

><p>Back with Ichika<p>

"Excuse me, young man." Ichika's stare was cut short by the sound of a woman's voice aimed at their general direction, the boy noticing all conversation with the girls had ceased as they were glancing slightly upward at a shadow standing above him Ichika immediately paused taking in the faces of confusion and small ticks of jealousy from a certain underdeveloped teen with pigtails who was the only person in the group silently gritting her teeth at the sight making Ichika wonder what could possibly annoy much even agitate-never mind. Pausing hesitantly, Ichika slowly began to turn on his heel carefully unsure of who their visitor was before he stopped completely his mind going to an absolute blank as the figure of a woman blocked out the sun glare stood dressed in a pair of milky white pants reaching down to cut just above her feet, a pair of black soles was sticking out sizzling in the heat of the sun while wearing a top consisting of a light blue shade with a small brown sewn cross with Celtic patterns which was strange considering how the day was hot right now as a small breeze blew from the west adding to the humidity of the weather. Ichika almost felt unnerved when he looked straight at the woman's face, her main features were the silent dark emotionless gaze that held its target in place making the boy involuntarily freeze in his thoughts as her shoulder length dark hair swayed away from the breeze the strands moving onto her eyes before she used a hand to run the fringe to the side.

"You mean…me?" He pointed to himself as if for confirmation as the mysterious woman did not even move or respond for a few moments before her head tilted slightly to the right looking as emotionless as a wall while she observed Ichika almost momentarily before she pointed towards the right, Ichika glancing in the general direction to see the bus stop bench empty of life.

"I meant the bench of course." She stated simply at the boy prompting a deep silence which screamed 'awkward' to overcome the small atmosphere the group found themselves in, though Houki was quietly readying herself with her sharp eye glancing at the woman. Ichika gave a nervous cough unsure of what to say or even process what he was hearing from the stranger before the woman continued as if her rude comment had been nothing but a dream, her glassy eyes roaming the group of girls and Ichika looking wary.

"It was a joke, I heard it was popular recently…looks like that wasn't the case."

"Eh, uh, do I know you Miss…?"

"Karen. And you must be Ichika Orimura, am I correct?" The newly named Karen stated rudely interrupting the boy who was clearly looking stunned at the perceptiveness from her, Ichika noticing the tense bodies of his female company beside him while the woman seemingly ignored the fiery looks of alertness and mistrust immediately at the mention of the fact she has been targeting Ichika however the five girls knew better than to start a fight here in the midst of a public place. It was at this moment that the bus let out a sudden hiss of compressed air, the automatic doors sealing the vehicle and the cool cold breeze of the air-conditioned space the large vehicle hesitating for a second before the motor roared the bus beginning its journey around the loop and continuing onwards leaving the group at the empty bus stop behind.

"I am but how did you know my-"

"I am looking for Mr. Merle Anastasio, I heard you were the only male IS pilot and that you could point me to where he is." Karen interrupted yet again, grinding Ichika's own patience but it was minor as he scratched the back of his head (he kind of figured he was doing this action too much as some cue for being uncomfortable) the pause soon replaced by a wary stare as he took a deep breath, resisting the urge to fold his arms as he settled for balling his fists and relaxing looking defiant at the woman.

"I won't tell you anything until you explain to me what is going on. I am sorry, this is the only condition that I can ask of you before I even think of giving him to you and if you cannot accept that, you have to leave. Merle is my family, and whatever you want to say to him is what you can say to me before I do anything else." He declared in advance, the boy sweating slightly as he waited anxiously while the woman gave no reply to his demand instead she looked down slightly at the ground only for a moment before she stared back at Ichika who showed no hesitation or even a shred of emotion. Houki and the girls in the meantime were looking at each other, as if passing signals along to each other through visual glances while Karen moved a hand to her cheek scratching the skin without blinking.

"I'm afraid I must apologize to you, then…but I was under strict instructions to not disclose information to anyone besides my intended target, despite all connections. This message can only be relayed to Merle and I plan to do so, as long as you cooperate." Karen countered smoothly, her eyes also defiantly challenging Ichika's own in a battle of stares while Karen's hands twitched in quiet anticipation of a confrontation, the wind blowing strongly once again towards Karen who still had an emotionless glance towards the boy before she whispered almost ghostly arching forwards like a tiger having her prey in sight.

"I cannot win against you, that's true…however if you wish to combat in a public place, I will oblige if necessary to get what I need."

Switch to Merle and Chifuyu, mall around the same time

"Well, I read the reviews for it and it wasn't what I expected it to be." Merle sighed with a shrug of concealed disappointment as the pair exited the video game store, his hand holding a small white plastic bag complete with the symbol of a window painted orange and black in chess pattern the words 'Gamestop' was written on the bag in bold black letters the size was small enough that the shade of a game cover could be seen through the semi-transparent plastic. Chifuyu meanwhile had a thoughtful look on her face, her arm hooked under Merle's elbow in a display of affection as they walked away from the store the older Orimura opening her mouth as the two passed by a few shops mostly on fashion.

"But I found some of the trailers interesting, I didn't know nowadays some of the generation are turning to such games for fun…"

"It's as long as it isn't done in excess, Chifuyu. I am a rather controlled individual when it comes to both the body and mind, unless other circumstances do change in either side to influence what I feel is right." Merle said, though he could see the contradiction in his own words when he said it aloud as Chifuyu gave a playful snort seeing her own opportunity to tease the normally invulnerable man who had more than his share of doing exactly that to her all year round, Chifuyu began to counter his words while wagging a finger in the air.

"So you say Merle, when you were the one who spent almost the whole night trying to get past a single boss. I couldn't sleep well due to your hisses and attempts at being quiet failing."

"Hey, that boss was difficult alright. They don't call it the 'Prepare to die edition' for nothing you know. And I wasn't hissing or angry I was just…frustrated." Merle gave a mock look of horror at the jab, his face contorting into a horrified expression as he waved his free hand in his defense much to Chifuyu's own amusement as she caught on to his gesture raising her eyebrow in reply, her obvious display that she wasn't going to let this opportunity slide so easily from her grasp made Merle gulp.

"Really, Merle you should be less vocal about what you want…oh, how can you miss that hit? Or how could I be hit by a graze, and that wasn't fair in life distribution?" She teased further, Merle feeling his face light up slightly red as he felt heat beginning to warm his body making him clear his throat in reply, his internal monologue was almost making feel bad for all the past times he had taken the time to jab at her…almost guilty though but he wouldn't rather admit it to her outright. Humoring her, he continued to act surprised and half embarrassed at his own quirky behavior when it came down to gaming as the new couple moved down the rows of shops Merle already feeling the grip against his arm tightening gently as if he would disappear when she let go, like he was a fragile precious item which endeared him so much as he watched her smile and continue to tease him poking out her tongue at one point as Merle had a grin and laughed heartily while his thoughts wandered after five minutes, the couple deciding to take in the view of the thriving city mall in its glory Merle gazing upward to the glass dome ceiling that projected the sunlight onto the center of the mall's heart lighting the entirety of the inside in a circle of light almost similar to that of a small chapel with small windows leaking light like a descending glorious ring.

Merle never had a true family, his was a broken picture with a horrid father who abused him when he saw fit, while his mother was caring but due to her love and fear of her own husband she had withdrawn into a life of drinking somewhat to cope with the living waking terror of her husband's beatings at night or even the attempted rapes he would try to perform on his very own son. He recalled how before his death, he had to watch as his mother drank herself silly when her father was on a night shift down at a factory muttering and lamenting the life she was given while unable to give Merle the love of a mother that he deserved. Merle glanced at Chifuyu who was still clinging on to his arm, her beaming smile as she looked in wonder and fascination at the rows of glass which held all sorts of beauty like fashion or even a toy store with mostly animal stuffed toys made the man feel safe. When they nearly kissed he realized something that haunted him for the time until today when he had confessed to Chifuyu himself and they finally shared the tender moment in his bedroom, it was something that he remembered praying and asking of God during the low times in his life which he desired the most aside from being away from his father.

Love.

Love that he wished he could be given, a love for someone and from someone who truly wanted to care about both their well-being as well as sharing sorrow and experience with, someone who could accept him as family despite his sudden intrusion into their normal life. In his eyes, God gave him a chance to be happy…a new life and start which he could proceed out and do his work and strive to see his mission fulfilled. Seeing her like this made him feel that perhaps in this new life he was given, he could be free from everything that bound him in the past when he and his mother lived in fear…something he can now call a person who was worth fighting for. How he wished it could go on like this-

_**There is no other option, it's bound by blood…mine and his were the key to opening it but I didn't know it until it was too late.**_

_**There is no turning back or even a chance to do so.**_

"What the-" Merle did not even get the chance to respond, the next sensation he felt when the strange voice returned to him was a white flash exploding in his eyes as if from an unknown source blinding the man as he suddenly noticed his legs numbing in result, his stability and balance being thrown off as he nearly crumpled instead he shifted his weight to prevent himself falling over. However the answer to his hopeless struggle was an overwhelming pains like that of a sharp object pierce his vulnerable chest digging straight into his heart, Merle was opening his mouth only for a whimper to escape his throat than that of a scream for help as the world around him spun in a circle.

_What's this? This is stronger, stronger than the visions I have been given before!_

_**There can only be one way that this story ends.**_

_What?_

_**Bound by death, bound by blood…Bound by death, bound by blood. **_

_**Both halves will become whole, make it whole.**_

_**Bound by death, bound by blood…bound by death, bound by blood!**_

"No-urgghh!"

_**This story, ends in death.**_

"? Merle are you feeling okay, you look very pale like you just remembered something." Chifuyu's voice broke the sudden ringing in his head, Merle used his free hand to clasp the side of his head without so much of a reply the sudden quick echo was succeeded by a burning sensation in his throat and heart the man clutching his chest in response to the concern of his partner before the blurry disorientated vision that swarmed him receded just as quickly into the corners of his eyes the flickering dots of lights from the mall gave him a vitality of strength as he focused back into reality the echoes of the last verse slowly but surely disappearing into the mental fog, however as soon as he managed to regain his balance and vision a weary feeling overshadowed him making him stagger towards the floor.

"Get out of my head, get out of my head!" He began to whisper in a raspy tone, his knees giving way as he began to crumple to the floor however much to his luck Chifuyu had already taken action then when she noticed his stagger and near fall, her arms swiftly held back the man by pushing his chest upwards towards her chest before she quickly looked to the left and moved bringing Merle away from the public eye noticing some passer bys who were beginning to cast curious eyes as she brought him into a side corridor leading to the back lane behind several of the shops the chatter of the crowds dying away in the distance, swallowing her worry for the man's sudden health as she tried to calm her mind. Propping him against the wall to support him from any other injuries as a precaution, Chifuyu looked upon the face of her partner hidden anxiety increasing at the sight of Merle's pained expression when she glanced to check on him taking a quick look at the main body of the mall and back to the man, her eyes betraying her distress while she grasped both of his cheeks bringing her face close to his.

"Merle please talk to me, tell me what is wrong. Merle snap out of it, please you're scaring me." She spoke worriedly her voice almost breaking at Merle who still did not respond instead shutting his eyes to block out the white static in his ears continuously whispering in hushed yet sharp hisses of the same verse over and over, his breathing was ragged and in irregular intakes as he shivered involuntarily feeling the cold touch of Chifuyu's hands clasping his cheeks as the vision of her face blurred. His eyes were losing sight and signs of warmth and caring instead it had been overcast by dark eyes had given way to an emotionless and withdrawn state, matching the slightly pale white skin which resulted from his mental assault slumping against the wall like a broken doll or a puppet with cut strings the posture frightening Chifuyu as she began to grasp his shoulders and shake him her eyes moving over to his wrist, placing her two fingers against it her mind unable to process what she noticed next.

There was no beat.

"No way…his pulse." Immediately she tried the next best thing, moving her head to his weak chest which had stopped moving by this time as she desperately set him down on the floor, Chifuyu using her hands to press upon his chest performing CPR as she watched his eyes roll up and refocusing again if not conscious of what was happening to him, or if he could even work out a response to sooth her fears as she continued to press his chest leaning over him to breathe into his mouth putting in as much air as she could, only to have her fears stoked as Merle barely mouthed his words.

"No, there's no way he's going to...NO!" She nearly lost her cool as she shoved a hand into her bag, grabbing out her phone as she frantically pushed in the number for an ambulance immediately as she saw him muttering and chattering his teeth, Merle's limbs barely holding or moving themselves as she felt her heart jump in terror at his chances going slim. She had not seen this phenomena at all, not in her experience dealing with IS missions or even seeing the aftermath of destruction she seen in other pilots when they were deployed into the battlefield…most of them do show signs of mental instability or even begin a self-destructive lifestyle in certain cases.

"C-Chifuyu…" Merle's raspy voice cut into the thoughts of Chifuyu who realized he was lucid from his sudden mental attack, the woman immediately choosing to withhold the call as she knelt beside Merle who was still looking as lifeless as his mind was mostly in shutdown, Chifuyu clutching his hand tightly as she brought the phone up to her ear the sound of a female echoing about the state of the emergency call as the Orimura wasted no time seeing Merle's breathing still as ragged and his eyes stoned, unfeeling and cold as it had been as his voice began to whisper again desperation seeping into Chifuyu who looked on in slight dread.

"Yes, I need an ambulance now my…boyfriend has collapsed in the mall nearest to the city center, he's in bad shape…Please hurry as soon as you can I don't know if he's alright." She said as she immediately hung up, her eyes almost beginning to water while she grasped Merle's shoulders and without much of a second's hesitation she wrapped her arms around his neck bringing the lifeless man into a one-sided embrace her eyes tearing at the corners as thoughts of various kinds began to fly needlessly into her consciousness. What if he is dead? What if he is experiencing a condition he never told her about? She couldn't even process what had happened just then, his smile suddenly lost as his eyes widened in a hidden terror before succumbing to whatever had afflicted him…her mind suddenly drew a blank, as she held him in his place her own eyes widened slightly as a memory came back to her during the trip to the island when he had been assaulted.

"Was it him? Was that some kind of unknown poison rather than a simple paralyzing agent?"

"Chifuyu…" Merle uttered again, his eyes flickering in between emotionless and a hint of ebbing life as Chifuyu turned towards him her voice starting to break down as she continued to hold the man closely to her chest all the while gritting her teeth at how she could miss such a detail when she was making sure he was safe…she already felt helpless trying to fend off those greedy politicians from laying a hand on her brother for his DNA to introduce more male pilots into the mix, but now to lose her new boyfriend to a strange affliction? Is this how it will end, with him just disappearing…?

"No, don't. Don't you dare...don't you dare do this to me. You promised you were going to be here, you're going to be fine." She interjected harshly as she tried to convince herself more than Merle that she wouldn't lose him yet, the IS legend continued to hold onto the man stubbornly in the hug with slightly watery eyes, who had already lost his ability to speak instead his words were croaked and dying in his throat though even through the whispers she could make out part of the words which made most coherency to her however what he spoke gave a chill to her back, something she never expected to hear the man even say.

"Chifuyu…I'm sorry, I can't be…there with you…after all." He declared painfully, his face tightened into a grimace as he began to move a hand towards his chest and throat further terrifying her as she flipped open her phone, her usually calm demeanor had already slipped away in spite of her inner mind telling her to keep her cool however those soothing thoughts were slowly being overwhelmed by the sudden occurrence of such an attack as Merle's eyes fluttered and rapidly tried its best to stay focused on Chifuyu's tearing face, his hand numbly rising in shivers attempting to weakly touch his lover's cheek only to have him suddenly go limp the beating of his heart continuing to go on without a beat leaving her alone. Chifuyu waited, her eyes and heart pushing what logic had overcome her mind as she paused her breath jittered and shaky as she touched Merle's cheek which was already showing signs of blue, her mind going to a blank her hand shooting to his heart again desperate to hear him say something again but to no avail as Merle's breathing was getting shallower with passing breath.

"No….MERLE!"

"Oh my, looks like I was right about dear brother being afflicted. Visions are a real nightmare, especially when what he says is rather close to the truth." Chifuyu's eyes widened in shock at the sudden slightly shrilly voice that made its presence known to the empty back alley, the woman growling in pain and anguish as she immediately spunaround at an inhuman speed her hand flying to clasp her wrist where a bracelet laid clasping tightly onto her skin as a sharp bright prism of light flashed in front of the shadow the next second Chifuyu immediately took the short hesitation to inject a stabbing thrust at the dark outline who simply gave a chuckle out of both shock and relief when the attack was out of range, the figure landing barely on the back end of its heels from the rush of air while the former IS dueling champion glared down her foe holding the large mechanical sword in front of her taking the basic kenjutsu stance in preparation while glaring with a sharp menacing stare, her eyes almost dulled.

"Explain yourself!"

"You're very skilled and quick on your toes, Chifuyu Orimura. That look is quite nostalgic somewhat." The voice now identifying itself as female stoically brushed the demand aside without a thought while a darkened outlined lump which the Orimura assumed was her hand moving towards her left breast massaging the skin where the sword tip had nearly struck in its formation sequence the woman flicking at her top as she ran the finger over the torn fabric clicking her tongue as she did so. "That and you also managed to nick a cut in my blouse that was a newly bought one by the way…it wasn't cheap and it is foreign material."

"Enough, who are you and what do you want!?"

"To the point already huh…that's rude when you are talking to a woman who is more knowledgeable than you for this situation but I will let that slide for now, this means I have more time to assist and I hope that I am not too late to give him a small antidote for his new problem." The figure muttered the last statement to herself as she stepped out of the shadow of the hallway and into the bright light of the mall, the crowds outside swarming by the windows of the double swing doors blocking the sound giving the two a sense of privacy to talk freely, Chifuyu squinting slightly under the dim yellowish lights to see the full view of a woman about her height with shoulder length hair complete with a small short end tail behind tied by a small band. Her expression wasn't as lighthearted as her voice led Chifuyu to believe either, the expected childish expression she was expecting was greeted instead by a grimace along with a foreshadowing glint in her eyes while she went to Merle's side, the man had already closed his eyes while more color drained from his face and hands as Chifuyu kept her sword still pointed at the stranger who stopped when the flash of the steel blade struck the wall in front of her eyes lightly signaling her to back off.

"You think I will just let you pass?" Chifuyu warily spoke, her sword waving to emphasize her point before a whisper of sound could be heard the woman jumping back upon instinct as a sudden burst of wind took out the surrounding lights shattering the glass in unison from the shockwave of the manufactured wind the glass raining in shards showering Chifuyu who stood defiant and unintimidated by her opponent until she heard the woman retort back to her own defense, her voice cold and with added undertone of impatience as the stranger shook her head even though the darkness obscured it.

"I want my brother safe for what is to come, and if I am right…he opened the little music box without telling anyone including you without knowing what he got into. You see, that little digital key he touched was something that was attuned to my broth-Amasa's blood and DNA or someone who shared the same blood as his…his twin, if you'd prefer." She immediately produced a syringe holding a small tank of red from her pocket, waving it in front of Chifuyu as she reached out and jabbed the automatic syringe into Merle's arm, gesturing with the tilt of her head towards Merle's lifeless body his breathing already shallow bordering on non-existent as Chifuyu nearly dropped her sword trying to control her fear as she saw his body exposing blue neophyte veins almost devoid of blood or life, the woman keeping the syringe as she stared at her fallen brother.

"That is what happens when he touched the key, but the condition is only the beginning of his demise."

* * *

><p>Back to Ichika and group<p>

Ichika took in a breath of suppressed relief, the tension in the air had dissipated as quickly as the woman had left the group without even provoking a fight as she disappeared into a parked vermillion red car and drove off, leaving a trail of dust in the wake of her unpredicted retreat much to both the teenager's anxiety and stress from the close encounter as Houki moved to Ichika's side placing a hand on his shoulder to calm his rising tension, the gesture not going unnoticed from Ichika as Charlotte too gave a worried glance at the car which disappeared around the corner.

"Ichika-kun, shouldn't we go after her?" Charlotte suggested to the boy as Laura still in her half-asleep state staggered slightly as she readied the IS strap around her wrist while Rin and Cecilia both stood down relaxing their strained muscles from the hours of swimming around and playing in the park. Ichika paused mid-thought, the idea of letting her go right now when she had knowledge about Merle and possibly more than what he had allowed himself to speak of towards him and Chifuyu was quite tempting, however his instinct told him otherwise. It was the same feeling he felt when he first met that doppelganger of Merle back on the ferry, screaming that he shouldn't attempt tracking of her…that and the fact was they may be IS pilots but the risk associated with such a task would prove to be more difficult than they can handle.

"No, I won't put any of us in danger right now…and besides," Ichika moved his eyes downwards casting itself on his open palm where a small white envelope sat neatly folded and sealed, the letter having small cursive writing which barely made any sense unless you squinted while reading past the curls the male pilot giving a deep frown at the words feeling a chill run down his spine while his stomach churned from the chlorine water he accidentally swallowed making him groan.

'An invitation for Merle, to Reichenbach Overlook'.

"Merle has something big on his own hands."

* * *

><p>With Amasa<p>

"Emissary is dead, status Kia, your pet dog got himself outright killed chasing my phantom. Next time, try to get a better agent who knows how to not plan out suicide runs."

"I see, that is a shame…he would have been proud of you if I could guess had he still been alive, you know that don't you Amasa? Oh, but then I guess he wouldn't be seeing as you and him parted with antagonistic terms." The other distorted voice spoke on the other end of the phone, Amasa himself sitting tensely in his own seat while clutching the arm rest in an unconscious reflex before the doppelganger replied stressfully, his hair blowing freely in the strong gust of wind on the balcony of his hotel room in Germany the man craning his neck feeling the bone pop in its joints.

"Emissary was a fool, he died believing that I killed him and I bet he decided to use my family to make me angry and perhaps he would die confused and alone. Either way it doesn't matter to me, not anymore…what was on your end then, you must be mistaken to believe such a capable weapon could avoid detection and escape your grasp?"

"The Directive make no mistakes…the plan will do as it intended, and in return you will finally have your true goal just as it should be. Whoever this person is, your little 'imposter' will not be able to disrupt anything unless he brings in the key. Secondly for your own question regarding our security over the music box which contained the key, we did not find anything wrong or any signs of intrusion into the facility where the key was originally stored and we have no idea how it managed to disappear and reappear on the man at the same time he was found at the facility. No one could teleport a secret project from the other side of the world to Japan in an instant." Amasa bit his lip, he had already guessed that when he already saw Merle for the first time but to hear that again from another seemed to be a huge slap in the face as the man gave a sigh, his hand grabbing a glass of fresh cold water from the tap gulping it down before he spoke up again his eyes tracing over to the east where a forest line could be seen in the distance. Sure, Tabane was a great scientist but if there was one thing he knew no scientist can defy such laws embedded in the world genius or not…something Amasa didn't need some super genius to figure out.

"Fuck my goal, I threw that away when I saw the world could not be fixed with the change…I threw away that responsibility when I faked my own death and cast myself into the ice cold Baltic in hopes I would drown. This 'imposter' you call insignificant is deadlier to you than to me, and what you plan to do is your goal, not mine. We simply just happened to have similar interests in mind now: you want to fix the world, I want my doppelganger dead and buried through any means necessary."

"You can lie, but you cannot lie to me. I know Emissary commissioned this weapon to be developed even under the noses of Phantom Task, with his death our tie to our puppet arm is severed and you are considered to be a rogue agent. Know that whatever happened, it was partially your responsibility to keep track of what happens in the outside world agent or not."

"Says who?" Amasa tossed a sharp remark at the receiver his own temper slighting his emotions while the other end simply gave a dismissed tone to his rebellious tone, chiding the man like he would do to a child who was throwing a tantrum while the sounds of glass clinking on something hard could be heard in the background. Amasa meanwhile left his seat, the cold breeze beginning to freeze his skin as he entered his apartment's living room sliding the glass door shut behind him leaving the empty glass cup on the table.

"I don't tell you what you do, I simply wait for opportunities to show themselves…I've not sat on the throne of this organization without my share of betrayals and checkmates. I do not care how that key found itself in the hand of some stranger, but the chance to finally invoke our second 'Jormungand' will happen no matter the cost…Koko's satellite plan was inspiring." The man spoke in some tone of admiration as Amasa rubbed his forehead with his forefinger almost breaking the bone, the man moving towards the kitchen area where the smell of cooked waffles attracted him luring him in with the tempting mouthwatering scent as he lifted the lid off the cooker watching in satisfaction at the result of his work, Amasa replying crisply into the phone.

"I had my reasons for joining up with Koko's group for a while, you know that. She is quite charismatic, if her ideals are a little misplaced in the wrong place." Amasa spoke plainly, eyeing the cabinet as he brought out a plate setting it beside the cooker memories of his time with the group and Valmet appeared like flashes, the Merle doppelganger shaking his head lightly when he recalled the Finnish soldier sweeping his thoughts aside. When he went to join Koko's military group, he had been on a personal mission to spy on them on his own orders due to the rumors that Koko was collecting missiles for an unknown purpose and it was then he infiltrated the gang, acting out an ambush on him by luring his enemies to him near the position of a deal that Koko was to participate in. Suffice to say he got in with his share of problems and nearly missing the plane they had flown into the country with, and in no time Amasa was known as Crow a mercenary who worked with morals…or so he had them believe. Getting into character was not easy for any infiltration mission, he didn't want to appeal to everyone yet he didn't want to be hated by everyone either and the balance could have held out if not for Valmet whom he felt was no stranger to tragedy, so he tried to get close to her through the most unorthodox method ever.

Now there were things that Valmet could tolerate such as the dark humor and even the disgusting things the underworld were not afraid of doing, however there was one thing she hated more than anything…and one day Amasa showed up to the deck of the ship they were traveling in to where she was wearing two pistols, wielding attached bayonets. The response: Valmet went bat-shit crazy and bloodthirsty, Amasa strafing and dodging while smiling all the time asking her what was wrong eventually defending himself without much of a fight, subduing the wild Finnish woman with his bare hands. She didn't speak with him for over a week, and Amasa soon realized that he wasn't getting results about what Koko was doing with the rockets with his stunt as more deals circulated and his time limited in scope.

Then his luck turned around, somehow in one way or another he cornered and lectured Valmet about her vengeance for her men saying that if she couldn't control her own anger and if she was out of control it will lead to nothing but pain. She resisted vehemently of course, her own belief and conviction demanding her to seek justice with regaining personal honor which he combated without backing down eventually leading to an attempted fight Amasa retreating because he stated he won the argument if she could snap. He received a punch for his words, however he knew he left a mark as no one in the team usually bothered with the others' problems suiting his advantage as he knew it would influence her to seek him out, and she did according to plan…but there was no romance. When he left she had already felt there was something but she, like him chose not to act on it due to their conflicting beliefs and there wasn't enough time to even pursue such a relationship in their lines of work.

"But that is what made her plan fail, the failure of Jormungand was the turning point and a symbol to her that as long as she lives the world will have men and women who resist change. It is amazing how a single act of guile can change the course of a world, and it is this power over resisting change and empowering change that I wish to control…Emissary completed his objective anyhow, and I am pleased by the results as should you. But I won't waste your time chatting, I imagine you have a dinner with destiny and it is imperative nothing gets in your way." The man stated with a hint of excitement in his voice, Amasa nodding to himself even though they were on the phone in understanding as he scooped up the waffles with his spatula placing them into the plate he prepared beside the cooker, grabbing the bottle of honey when he finished staring delightfully at the sauce pooling onto the surface of the waffles over the hot steam.

"Sure, whatever…I have to go. Destiny's call and all that nonsense, you know?"

"Hmph, goodbye and may both of our goals be fulfilled then…Cipher Shadow."

End

* * *

><p>Author's Notes: The third faction in this world of war machines and machinations of political and secrecy have revealed themselves, now this is the question corner for me.<p>

So why did I introduce a third faction into the war between IS and Phantom Task? If you recall having the IS which is an all-female weapon with most women capable of flying these machines of destruction will certainly revolutionise yet at the same time cause tension between nations and even amongst themselves. Men are being ripped from their roles as one of the primary frontline wars to being second to female pilots…and this is the result of such friction. How long until a world in fear of women holding on to such weapons will begin to argue: what is this change and why should we allow it?

The resulting train of thought resulted in the Directive, this faction which Amasa is formerly in charge of as the story unfolds you'll see the extent of what this group is willing to stretch. From this time onwards, I have plans to not involve any more organisations other than these three as for me having a third faction is a tiring process to come up with the motivations and goals they wish to achieve…and this isn't the end of my plans for this new group. Cliffhangers ahoy!

Theophilia, the now named sister of Merle is revealed and I put her in a mix of Merle's playfulness yet serious demeanor when it comes to serious matters. I initially wanted her to be close to her brother, but it was better to estrange her due to plot concerns and that I don't leave a hole to exploit…people can be picky if they wanted to and I wish to not also leave some major irrationality.

Merle is now in the throes of death, and this has been a prominent feature surrounding him with the visions of death and what he has to do is not yet clear…however, would he bang the girl before he bites it? I won't answer that for nuts, too much writing and my hands are numb.

P.S. I may include extra scenes for this but that remains to be seen, however do note this is still in the interval stage a prologue to the arc.

Have fun and take care,

VI


	30. Sister?, Advise, Not the Same

IS Valkyrie

Author's notes: Hello all and welcome, I am writing out the new chapter which will soon catapult the story to the height. Amasa's arc will not be too long now, and all will slowly be pieced together in due time as the arc goes.

So the key is revealed, and it is literally a key…and as they say the key is to the kingdom. You'll understand what I mean soon, and take it as it is now but now Merle is suffering-no he was dying slowly in the last chapter only to be saved at the last minute by Theo his 'sister' while Ichika is greeted by Karen Low who delivers a message from none other than Amasa. In the meantime, the third faction in the secret war now makes its move uncertain of their future and the change it will bring and Amasa waits impatiently at Reichenbach for the final confrontation his plan propelled with the little gift of the code.

What will happen? What is going on, and who will be left standing?

IS Valkyrie ladies and gentlemen, here is the story.

Disclaimer: I do not own IS Valkyrie…and I am happy the way it is.

* * *

><p>Present day<p>

"_You bitch, how dare you?" Amasa spat the words out in a venomous tone, his glaring orbs of rage carrying a healthy dose of poison and lethality in his words as he stared down at the woman, Merle feeling his vision darken as he tried to stand forcing him to his knees as he looked to his right in worry where his girlfriend laid her body going still from whatever that Amasa had done before he heard the two arguing again._

"_I did what was right. Amasa, this plan of yours is wrong and you know it well."_

"_I am simply ridding the world of one less menace!" Amasa shot back at the woman, the woman's dichromatic eyes narrowing as a shadow cast over her eyes as she gritted her teeth at the man's own stubbornness. This man, her brother, this wasn't the boy that she grew up with or even saw after he had dumped her in that orphanage to be grouped and labeled with the others as 'troublemakers'…this wasn't the caring brother who for all his faults at trying to find out everything that was going on around him, the brother who at least listened more than his talk respecting her as a person rather than their no-good father. All she saw before her was the direct opposite of what he used to be, all she saw since he died was a person drawing upon the cynicism of the world…and knowing fully well what that meant. Folding her arms, Theo stared her brother down giving a grave expression at his current action, her lips thinning into a deep frown as she looked in utter disapproval and sadness._

"_He's not coming back, you have to accept that and move on like I have told you many years ago." The words caused him to stiffen momentarily, his eyes were not becoming lucid as he tightened his grip on the sword in his hand a sign that Theo recognized as one of complete rejection of such a statement, Amasa now giving her a very dark scowl in return for her words almost spitting out the saliva in his throat._

"_I will not, if it wasn't for what happened in that household…if it weren't for him, I would be the same. Were you even there when Father raped me over and over again? Were you there when he forced me to do what women did or bend down like a dog before him? Were you there when he raped me and my mother and filmed it for his private collection? No, you were the daughter he loved and saved, before he finally tried to make his move." Amasa's cruel words struck Theo but the woman kept her expression neutral, inside she was aware that he was just trying to hurt her intentionally however it didn't mean he was wrong on all accounts. It had taken years for her to acknowledge what he was planning to do, what her brother did to protect her from all the abuse he and mother had endured…the mere thought of what would have happened had Amasa not went into action, it caused her shivers to consider it. Merle couldn't reply to any of it, his eyes and mind were deep in thought while he recovered stiffly from the words the presence of a splitting image of himself saying these things made his past seem less tragic in comparison._

"_That is true, as you say none of this would have happened but consider it brother…you ended him, you did it to protect me as well as yourself and Mother even though you knew it would have been against your own values to do so and I am grateful for your reasons. However this…" she gestured to the surrounding marble balcony which had been destroyed with pieces of the stone pillars lying around on the ground in heaps while several of the railings were destroyed completely, "this isn't what Mother would have wanted you to do. She will not have permitted you to join the Phantoms or even work with the Fundamentalists in the first place. You have to listen-"_

"_I am done listening to anyone. You don't understand do you? This isn't about the world being uncaring that your loved one passed away, this isn't about justice against people like father, this is what I want to do because there are people out here who want the same thing as I do…we want to dismantle the machinery of war in finesse, we want to keep the progress that we've worked for before Tabane came along with her ideals of a weapon capable for women to rain down destruction upon homes intact. This is __**nothing **__about family." Amasa hissed out the words as he glared down at Merle, his own smile threatening to break or tear from his face as he looked down at the kneeling one-armed teacher with contempt._

"_I hoped that whatever you said to me back then still meant something. Blasted man went ahead and fucked up the plan by confronting you too early by schedule." Watching Merle intently to read his reaction, Amasa swung his bloody sword and kicked the severed arm towards the teacher noting Chifuyu's collapsed form with a cautious glare. "I want everyone to die, Phantom Task can have their machines but not before their top head is found charred and a pile of meat and blood, by then the governments will have moved in on this chance…by estimates. The world will be rid of one technological advancement of war for the age, now all that depends on you my wild card." Pointing the sword at Merle, he watched as the teacher struggle with the pistol in hand as he gripped his severed arm placing it beside his fallen girlfriend as if it were glass flexing his remaining arm holding the glove before the sound of charged lightning was heard cackling in the air._

"_You should have just quit."_

"_Sorry, Merle...you already know what I have done. Right now, I am not even considered human anymore."_

* * *

><p>With Merle<p>

Merle felt his body grow cold, the numbness trickling away slightly but did nothing to stir him from the coma he was placed in the dark void keeping a tight grip on his life and mind as he floated in the midst of the sea of black, the eerie silence save the splashing of water ringing in ripples in his head echoing throughout the world. It was this sight that he woke up to, Merle blinking in rapid succession as the voices continued to speak in hushed desperate tones as if they were encircling him observing him curiously each statement trickling from the darkness, a sense of dread and discomfort with each word carried onto him.

_Do you know who you really are?_

_The only him is him…are you you?_

_Why do you think Amasa knows who you are? Are you certain you didn't miss anything when you interacted?_

_What can you surmise about his character? He was waiting for you._

_The box, think it's all in the box that you hold? Think, why do you think Amasa gave you the combination key for? Why allow you to have access to a key that should not even be with you when you came down?_

"…ugh." He tried to focus, his eyes hazily opening into tiny slits while his arms sat numbly next to him before he finally opened up his eyes fully to glance at the dark voided sky uncertain of what was being said to him as Merle had a confused look as to how he got here staring aimlessly around him scratching his head. At first he wondered what had caused him to have gotten here as he saw blurred images flash in his mind in a broken sequence, his voice nearly hoarse as he tried to speak only for his voice to come out cracked and a dry feeling in the walls of his throat burning with heat holding a hand to his head to combat the dizzy swimming in his brain.

"Come on, Merle think…why are they telling you this now? These pieces are sitting around in my mind for God only knows how long, and yet I can't find the missing pieces to solve it…what the hell is going on here? Why am I here, all I could remember before anything else was-" He didn't have to speak further before a sudden flash of a memory appeared in his own mind, the vision blinding him momentarily while he fought the stinging feeling in his eyeballs raising his hand to shield himself minimally from the light the squinting orbs spinning in the shadow of the dissipating light only to cast his gaze unto something he did not expect to see. He didn't know what to think of it, his own eyes glazing over with nothing but blankness and a very hint of possibility mixed in sadness if what he thought was true of him, if what was being shown right now to him was true…then Amasa would be someone he knew all too well, a stranger with a striking past similar to his.

"Yes, I remember now…Amasa is me, I am him. But our souls aren't the same, we're different than each other...and I recall the mall, the box and the key…the genetic key…I was with Chifuyu and then a strange feeling, it was from the time I opened the box."

"**Yes, my son you now know, the true purpose of the key that was hidden in the box could not be opened to him by any other means than the one person who was similar to him in every way, yet he and you do not share the same soul for every soul is uniquely different from everyone else's." **

"…" Merle's mind didn't take long before the dots began connecting, and the revelation at the end of his thought process was something that shook the man to his core that melted his stoic expression to action, his own mouth trying to find the words to come to him but to no avail. That wasn't believable, but if the box was made for Amasa and someone who was similar to him that could only mean one single thought if what all of Amasa's ramblings said true and rang in his head like a bell, the glaring truth dawning in the horizon of his dark voided world. "No way…it can't be, can it God? Is this truly what this all means then, does this truly have to end like this…are the dreams that plague my own nightmares then a figment of my imagination, or are they the cold hearted truth of the story's conclusion? Tell me."

"**What you think is indeed true. You and Amasa aren't one and the same, your lives were destined to be intersected. You and him may look alike but you are different in soul sharing a past, the music box was given to you by me so that you could end the true immediate threat that overshadowed your own personal mission I have given to you. I cannot say more, neither will I mention how your path ends…simply know this: no matter what the outcome is, or how hopeless the situation gets, put your faith in me and let me guide your path to the one I have set out for you."**

"I will, thank you for everything that you have done for me and I place my trust in your plan." Merle sadly spoke as he closed his eyes, the dark numbing feeling was suddenly washed away by a flood of light which began to rise from the horizon consuming him in the warming glow as he felt his mind begin to stir and the world opening up to him reminding him of the very first time that he had started on his journey, this time a renewed feeling of conviction rose in his mind mentally glaring at the face of his new opponent.

"This time, Amasa…I will be taking the fight to you. No more tricks, no more lies…this time I will stop you. You won this round here, but I promise you the battle is far from over."

* * *

><p>With Chifuyu and Theo, hospital room<p>

"I have done all I can for him, the syringe of liquid should stabilize him for now. All that remains is to give him the genetic key in order for him to calm his body down from acting up." Theo spoke, smoothing her hair to the side of her face a small lock being bitten by her lips as she eyed her brother with care making sure the antidote she had administered to him was working effectively while Chifuyu paced back and forth by the feet of the bed, her eyebrows furrowed in an expression beyond worry filled with fear for the man's safety before she walked to Theo standing behind her with a look of deep concern at the unconscious form of Merle lying down covered to his chest with the blanket just as Theo packed her pouch and rose from her squatting position.

"So what happened to him?" She asked nervously, still unsure of what Theo was or her own purpose as she eyed the back of Theo's head, the woman continuing to eye the knocked out Merle with her own analytical eyes spying for any more symptoms before she turned around to meet Chifuyu's inquisitive gaze with her look of reassurance patting her hands together while she did so.

"He's going to be fine, the shock of the infection strain hasn't taken its toll on him yet so like I said I will get to his home and take the key to him, and he will appreciate a familiar face to be by his side until then."

"Really, and what makes you think I will just let you go there alone? I will accompany you, you may have saved Merle's life but I still do not know just who you are and so only I will be keeping an eye on you." Chifuyu spoke through narrowed eyes as she glared daggers at Theo who simply widened her eyes in slight surprise before she recovered from her moment, her face reverting back to the stoic and calm face silently giving respect for the IS legend as she let herself have a small chuckle at the woman.

"So, you are as stubborn as the reports about you say." Her comment served to stun Chifuyu who simply looked at her dumbly for a moment before she gave a shrug of her own in reply, her sternness returning to reinforce her own persistence on the current topic. "Yes, that's what many say is my greatest weakness…and sometimes the greatest weapon of persuasion I can have on many people, and you are no different from anyone else. So honestly, I can't trust you easily especially your own identity as Merle's sister…yet I don't really see any semblance of you to him. That rings some red flags, and so I won't trust you completely until you tell me just what is going on and how much do you know about this music box and the genetic key." At that last note Chifuyu instantly picked up on a deep frown forming on the woman's face as she opened her mouth to speak before a groan shook both women from their stare off, both heads turning to quickly glance at the stirring man in the hospital bed Chifuyu being the first of the pair to spring into action as she rushed to the bedside squeezing between the self-proclaimed sister of Merle and Merle himself, her dark yellow eyes searching his features which had lightened to a brighter hue than the bluish tinted suffocating figure she saw at the mall. Coughing, Merle could only blink with the crust from his eyelids crumbling to the sides of his face before his hazy eyes fell upon the one face that he never thought he would see, the corner of his lips curling upwards into a bright and sincere smile.

"Hey there, my beautiful angel-" Chifuyu didn't spare him any moment's rest, her face immediately closing the distance between the bed and his lips the man unable to react properly when her mouth captured his own in a prison of passion, Merle found himself looking up at her in shock before he recovered smiling while he returned the kiss that she was giving him meeting her halfway when he weakly raised his hand to cup her cheek feeling the streaks of tears streaming down in small trickles of both relief and joy. Meanwhile Merle's 'sister' was sitting aside grinning at the sight of tender love, her own thoughts kept to a thinly held smile as she watched knowing that the two were in their own personal bubble of attention right now, and it would be better not to interrupt whatever was going on.

"Merle…thank God you're okay!" Chifuyu almost felt her stone gaze break as she spoke the words, the recollection of the incident was still burning in her mind and this caused her grip to tighten slightly in the hug, as if reminding herself that he was still alive and well not in the grave. Merle had to smile as he returned the hug, his weak hands slowly creeping up her back, massaging it in circles sending a shiver of comfort as Chifuyu let out a weak purr at his action.

"Ha, it's good to see that I can still feel everything in my body." He stated, unwittingly emphasizing on the 'everything' part which caused the Orimura to punch his shoulder lightly in retribution for his attempt at a tease. "Ow, okay okay…I guess that could have meant something else apart from knowing my limbs are intact." Rolling her eyes at his relaxed state for a near-death experience, Chifuyu suddenly remembered the third party in the room as she tilted her head towards said woman grinning like a cat watching the two cuddling with an impenetrable expression equivalent to that of her own masking any feelings or tells that she could pick up, Chifuyu gesturing to the unknown guest in the room when Merle followed her eyes to find it on Theo's own dichromatic ones.

"She saved you just in time before you were a blue corpse, and she claims to be your sister." Merle's eyebrow raised in question, his face immediately turning to the unreadable gaze that showed invulnerability as the subject of the topic gave a nod of acknowledgement before Merle looked at his girlfriend who had her caution on the ready, "Chifuyu, is it fine if you leave us to our talk? I'm sure that she will have a lot of answers for me to hear." Chifuyu merely glanced at the woman who waved cheekily at the older Orimura before she shook her head, quietly keeping her own distaste at having being left out of the loop though Merle's gaze told her telepathically that she would get her own answers, betraying a sense of suspicion when he eyed Theo.

"Alright, but expect me to be breaking down the doors if I hear anything suspicious in here. I don't want to lose you too." Chifuyu whispered the last part to herself as she left, shutting the door behind her to leave the 'siblings' to their talk though once she had closed the door she heard the blinds to the window nearby snap shut, the dark-haired beauty leaning her back onto the wall as she closed her eyes in silent prayer.

* * *

><p>In the room<p>

"Who exactly are you?" Merle questioned his eyes turning a shade of dark, his expression changing immediately when he noticed Chifuyu's back was turned for the final time and glared at the woman feeling shivers of insecurity just from being vulnerable in this room without anyone to back him up in case of an attack. However, much to his own added anxiety and a small measure of fear just from looking at her Theo instead replied back with a small genuine grin of happiness on her face as she eyed the teacher up and down dressed in the hospital patient's outfit placing an index to her lips moving towards Merle's side, her blue eye roaming over his exhausted face despite his attempt at a stern expression.

"Looks like I was right, it is you. You from my dreams, just like Amasa described it as well…you are-" Theo suddenly caught herself in a choke, her own eyes unable to disguise the water that was building up before she continued without delay, "-were always like him in features and appearance, I can remember the two of you as the lady killers back in high school." Seeing Merle's confused face, Theo could only bow her head with a look of melancholy and understanding before she raised her head brushing the strands of her hair to the side as Merle gave her a knowing glance, prompting her silently to take her time explaining everything to him now.

"I'm so sorry that I am-I ah, it's been so long since I saw someone with his face…" Theo apologized deeply with a forlorn gaze but was stopped from saying anything further when Merle said nothing but only placing a hand clasping somewhat tightly on her shoulder to give Theo a form of comfort the small action making her smile at his thoughtfulness as he gave a quiet nod, his own mind was still drawing a minor blank over what was being said to him right now. The realization that he had already come to back with his conversation with God was already giving him a major piece of the puzzle for the ulterior objective that he was being unknowingly tasked with until now, but just for once Merle was hoping that he did not have to hear what he didn't want to hear.

"I already know you are not him, he is somewhere else now…helping out someone else if I know what has happened to him." Theo smiled brightly as she wiped away the tears brimming at the corner of her eye, glancing over at Merle with a slightly calmer and relaxed expression as she breathed deeply trying to stop the plug in her throat before she spoke in a lighter tone slapping her hands on her knees drawing one up to rest her bare feet on the chair's surface. "Did you know that there are quite a few people like you? Out there, in the wider space of worlds?" Merle had to pause at that question ignoring the back of his mind which was trying to rationalize the situation, removing his hand from her shoulder seeing that she had recovered from her momentary lapse bringing it to rest on the comfortable lukewarm blanket, closing his eyes in silent thought before he nodded his head.

"I was made aware, but I don't see anyone else like me."

"You are truly special, you know that? Very few people have been called, and chosen this path. Special just like the angels, but playing a shadow role in the worlds above… like you and the others, he was killed and I saw how he was called to help a princess deal with her pain and restore her fire. I dream of him sometimes, comforting the princess in the midst of the rain as he tries so hard to help her be part of a bigger purpose again in a united world…then I see him again watching the years roll by as he makes his way to the bright lights of a city built to symbolize a continuing peace." Merle kept silent at this, his eyes slowly widening in deep surprise at that part of the conversation but he did expect it to be. There were places like these that needed their help, whether accepting of their faith or not…Christianity was not alone in being pushed aside for rational thought, logical thinking guiding their moral code with numbers as their God and survival. The world was meant to descend that way, however long that took and much as he knew it, the truth stung. Throughout the times that he had spent dwelling in this new world, Merle had never once looked or reflected onto the gravity of the situation that he had been in or the prominent danger that lurked for doing so. He had felt it, a shadow of darkness over his doppelganger, gripping his life so tightly that just by looking at it Merle knew Amasa had indeed fallen too far to stop now in his goal…and it was the result that gave him fear.

"Even so, can I who have seen what will happen next sit idly by while Amasa tears this world apart?"

"You should know by now Merle, you're doing it only because you chose to do His plan. When my brother said that, he wasn't so well liked by the people he was traveling with…and they left him eventually. All that remained was for him to shoulder on the call of God, to watch as idealists tear apart at a young girl and only when she was at her darkest hour could he approach her and be her guide." Theo spoke softly as she gripped Merle's hand, her own eyes staring deeply at his eyes which were hidden beneath his strands of dark hair his 'sister' smoothing the bangs. "Avatar Korra could not sit idly by too when idealists tore the world asunder, my brother had to pick the hardest choice she would never choose…"

"So that's why it sounded so familiar." Merle muttered to himself as Theo smiled dimly at him, losing her cheeky expression for a more serious frown. "Merle, you are not Amasa any longer…He gave you a new name did He not? Your soul isn't the same as Amasa and never was, do not be discouraged or decieved by what you see with your human eyes." Theo replied as she reached into her pocket, Merle looking at her questionably before she brought out her palm from the interior of her pocket rolling out her fingers to give way to a small black hard drive with a small neck band, laying it squarely on his lap.

"You are dying right now Merle…that genetic key was made to kill you slowly from the very start."

End

* * *

><p>Author's notes: Okay question time, and it is great to be back! I have only just started on this chapter so this is the continuation to this arc which will not be ending too soon and the prologue shown is the last one you'll hear of it before anything else is spoiled.<p>

So here's been the question: so far Amasa has been said to be like Merle and is said to be an alternative to the same storyline. The reason why they're vastly different is due to the fact that both of them may look the same but yet they aren't the same, they have a story that had the same beginning and middle but ended differently. They are same in merely their past and present, but altogether in soul they aren't the same. Sorry that this wasn't clarified properly as I wanted to give an illusion of it, an illusion of being one singular person than two separate people hence the same doppelganger style appearance.

So yes, Theo and Amasa are more than just your ordinary people…and this will be talked about in another time.

And the last surprise if you read this chapter carefully, you'll know what this means in terms of Merle's thoughts as well as something about family. Again, I apologize as this was the time I had a small idea to make this twist come out right…hope you will forgive me if it was badly done and I was really trying hard to make sense of how to end this season.

Well, see you all next time and once again give me your thoughts and review!

See ya, the VI


	31. Big Reveal, To Know Your Enemy

IS Valkyrie

Author's notes: It's time for you to get the answers you were asking for this time. For a few chapters now you have wondered a few things but this time, many answers will arise out of this short chapter.

Update: I have edited this chapter to make a bit more sense and add in more ideas I had. Author's Notes at the bottom too have a few extra ideas.

Disclaimer: IS is not owned by me, but the rightful owners and I am glad it is so that I can do this story, I thank all readers once again for sticking this far. Are you ready?

* * *

><p>Theo's tale, To know an enemy<p>

_By understanding our past, we can look at the present and from there decide the future. And for you, Merle, 'brother', this is my story. I can only hope that from here on out you will know how this connects to your situation. This too is for the readers, those who wonder just how this story can end and how it begun to be this way…to be honest, I didn't know how to respond when I heard that Merle had come to our world, the dreams didn't help much in informing me of what goes on other than unhelpful segments. But I do know this well: the plan that was set up to kill you 'brother', was a plan that wasn't meant to involve you until you were sent here. _

_But I need you to know, our story is one that will allow you to gaze upon my flesh and blood with more than just a revelation or an understanding. This will give you the unfiltered and horrible truth behind it all: our struggles, our pain, and finally a tragedy that would change us forever. Allow me to tell you a story, a story of three children in a house ruled by a perverse, drunken, obnoxious man and his fearful beaten downtrodden wife. In one day, their lives were drastically altered by the events that have plagued their household and how two single decisions caused one of the most major consequences in human history behind the curtain of secrecy and shadows. This is my family, and our own story._

_We were once happy, or perhaps maybe our parents were before we were even born at the time. It was then that our beloved mother gave birth to two sons, but neither parent nor child knew just how significant the days of their birth would affect the world and its politics, and father according to our mother as we nursed her bruises one dark night when he was at his highest peak of anger and violence stalking the hallways hunting for us as all four of us hid in the attic fearful of his wrath when he did find us, father was still a sane and calm man rippling with a sense of reason in his head. It was then that when they were born did our father begin to change, slowly at first when news of his parents were dead passed on due to unknown circumstances which saddened him greatly but it was not the only thing that caused our dear father to break so easily into the maddened alcoholic drunk. His work soon after became strained as he soon began to keep secrets from us, then his wife and it wasn't long before his boss told him that if he kept up the behavior he would be demoted…however that wakeup call only served to do the opposite of what it was intended for and he started to drink heavily. _

_By some miracle, he kept his job and was promoted instead in the company he worked for, a technology based manufacturer somewhere in the Europe countryside though my memory was only clouded by what he was to wipe out all sense of recollection accurately to describe where we lived. It was then while he was working and keeping our family secure and fed did he encounter a man who was observing him from the shadows of the highest order, and my father was ignorant of the very events that would slowly twist and curl around his mind during that fateful meeting. He met the Fundamentalists._

_The Fundamentalists, a group of people that did not rule the running of countries or influence or exercise power over their Presidents and leaders behind the world's government…instead they held high ranking positions to take charge of specific resources that the continents could provide for their own plans and develop technology that was only possible to be controlled by their hand. Our father was talked to and after a few meetings accepted the proposal to join the group and attend to the official business of the group, to which he agreed and left Europe for American soil. It was the last time that we saw him as the loving father or so Amasa told me for shortly after while he was overseas I, Theo was finally born to the family as the last and final member…to Amasa and Tristam Roberts._

_For that duration when I was a baby to the time I was ten years of age, I could remember Amasa and Tristam running around confusing me with their striking similarity to each other save for Amasa's dark eyes of his father while Tristam and I were special, our eyes became dichromatic from our mother who had the rare genetic for such a thing. We were together, a happy family without a father who was busy working overseas but we were blissful and spent our days in the countryside and at the school hanging around or splitting up into our little circle of friends. However I noticed how Amasa was treated then, his dark eyes held a very stern and broken look to them that told me his plea and it was soon that I realized just how much torment and bullying he had faced, and I recall how Tristam overheard our conversation and left us citing that he was going to have a little walk around to get some air. Later that evening he returned to the front gates during last bell where we had not seen him for the rest of the day due to his exit, but before we could even open our mouths to ask Tristam appeared behind us past the crowds of students who were pointing at him peaking our curiosity. _

_He was covered with a shade of dried red, a small cut on his forehead to indicate what he had done during that time when he was away, his mouth twitching into a small frown as he twirled a lock of his dark hair in his index blowing off a puff of air before Amasa rushed to his side tending to the injury which was still sticky and bright red with blotches of clear skin where he had washed his face after doing what he had done. It was then we learnt that Tristam found the people who were picking on Amasa and with a sigh he got himself involved in a four way fight, taking two down before the other two beat him back forcing him to hide where he caught the attention of one of the teachers who broke up the oncoming fight. Tristam even held up a letter in front of his face for Amasa to read which contained a notice of detention along with to his utter surprise four handwritten apologies to him by the very bullies that Tristam had fought with not too long ago, and it was then that Amasa suddenly lit up the look in his eyes of loneliness and being silent had gone away replacing it with the same look that he shared when we were playing together…I still chuckle when I recall how Tristam scratched the back of his head unsure of what to say when Amasa was smiling and thanking him._

"_That's what brothers do, I guess. I mean, if you were in danger there wasn't a way that I can simply just treat you as an unknown in my life than having just a family bond. I would jump in to help unless you ask me though, Amasa…try to speak to me some more yeah?"_

_That then started a closer knitted bond, with me the only sister as the third wheel of our connection though that didn't mean that Tristam and Amasa didn't look out for me at all. In fact, they were people who themselves were threatening me as well as girls who would insult me for my eyes teasing the unique color…well at least until high school when girls told me their envy, but that wasn't the point. It was when I was 13 that our father, a person I never even knew existed for the longest time told my mother that he would be returning the year after that my brothers and I felt a sense of insecurity…I mean, what father would disappear for close to a decade before announcing his return? We barely knew him, but as he came out of that gate in the airport where we waited it was the most awkward family reunion in due part to me, though we soon got over it and we had a few months of peace._

_Now at this point I would say this was when the Fire Nation attacked, however there was no war…but only fire came in the form of the person I least expected it to be. The drinking became heavier, when he slept he would mutter and squint his eyes in fearfulness as he repeated his father's name over and over again to which concerned my mother as she did not know the truth of the matter which laid behind his calm visage of joy and cool head, inside of it was a scarred mind that held animosity towards his father and mother for a history of sexual abuse while caring for him at the same time. I did not hear of it until that day at the frozen lake, but that tale is coming soon. _

_Father, his parents would assault him more than twice a week, preying on him and blurring the lines between family care and just plain confusing lust…a horrible combination. It broke something in him, but I cannot say what truly broke first in his mind or spirit but it affected him truly as he turned to longer nights to drink, my mother would comfort him in the wee hours of the morning but that was soon discarded as he turned to something more sinister. It was during this time my mother found herself forced upon to satisfy his urges, but it soon became apparent that a crack in his psyche was urging him on to perform the same acts on his children. It was then…it was then…_

Switch to 3rd person

"Theo? Are you alright?" Merle cut in when he saw that her breathing had begun to hitch with hiccups being heard as the teacher found himself unable to respond to this new outlook, Theo in the meantime was grinding her teeth slightly as she turned her head away from him not wanting to reveal any hint of emotion of any sort showing a determined expression to continue while fighting her tears.

"Y-Yes, I have to continue however…only then will you understand why. Why Amasa declares you to be like him, and why he won't let go." Wiping her eyes, the woman decided now was the time to carry on than mope instead over a past she made her peace with.

_Came the day at the lake, where one day led to a spiraling mess that was once a happy family._

"**Father, I am not doing it." Tristam declared sharply as the copper-haired teen smacked the palm of his own parent, letting out a sharp breath of warm air into the winter expanse while his snow boots crunched an imprint into the knee-length snow. At a distance from the lake were the silhouettes of white and red skating near the edge of the lake which was situated a small distance from their home, it was part of the park and much to the family's surprise when they arrived the place was empty in place of an expected batch of visitors to view the scenery. The youth pulled at the white and green striped scarf allowing the cold chill to grasp his bare neck, keeping his glare on the adult in a dark grey winter jacket buttoned to the collar with a neutral expression aimed at Tristam before glancing upwards at the lake where the two other children were playing squealing in delight.**

"**You don't have a choice, after all you are the oldest to succeed me…or would you rather I find…another use for your dear sister when she grows older? I am sure a much more pureblooded heir would be something to suit my needs." **

"**Fuck your inheritance. You want me to join up with a bunch of controlling manipulating conniving men to help your own goals. Keep your damn fingers away from my sister, your own daughter…and you call yourself my father? No! I won't do it!" Tristam spoke harshly, the tense atmosphere surrounding the two before the older man snarled at him gritting his teeth but the expression of anger turned to one of a scheming mind, glancing dangerously towards the particular child dressed in crimson red skating dangerously close to the center before the pair went back to the edge of the lake. Seeing his smirk, Tristam couldn't hold back his growing anger as he stared up at the source of the family's hidden secrets, knowing full well what he was going to suggest while he curled his fists.**

"**So what, you already allowed me to take your own brother to satisfy my…'wants' and now you deny me another? The Roberts is going to be one of the most powerful families amongst the Fundamentalists with the progress of my works, and you take away my desire for my technology to become recognized for the genius work it is? So I take a want out for another, my own daughter's purity is not a property of others to take…it is mine. I own your life as a father, Tristam and you are to owe me a lot for bringing you up just for this moment. I OWN YOU."**

"**You would never-" Tristam began but instead his father cut his protest, the man gesturing to the two children on the ice that he helped give birth to with a sick sense of pride in his twisted smile, the sleek black hair and eyes of superiority adding to the dark feeling that Tristam felt in his bones. **

"**I would, because these children…these two are unable to leave my side. They love me very much, their own father against the wishes of people like you, a nothing, a no one, not even a filial son…you are like the others who dared to criticize my work, and they were proven wrong and inferior when I took their theories and made it my own, bankrupting them just for spite. I can even show you the videos of their suicides from so much pressure on their hopes and dreams while I dance in success, on the other hand, and living free of their prejudice and deaths. The Fundamentalists provide me the means to an end, the end being when my technology can even stave off world destruction and ride the winds of change for any occasion. War, poverty, determining who is successful or not, killing the populace, instigating dictatorships for common enemies…the Fundamentalists are already gods of men in their own way, they are nearing the goals of civilized and chaotic governance and I can stand with my family alongside them to steer the world however I please." Tristam's father spoke uncaringly as he spread his arms out at the cold icy wind, allowing a breeze to blow into his face while he stared at his son, watching intently as the teen looked away from him in disgust. "Oh don't look so sad, Tristam…you're my son, so I still love you, even if you won't submit to my requests." **

"**What kind of father rapes his son and plans to screw his next flesh and blood in a twisted mind game of yours, and you dare announce yourself as a god over men by joining up with these…terrorists?!" **

"**It's what you can have. Forget your siblings when you are sensible enough to join and have control over so many events…you can even achieve peace if you so wanted to, it's all the same." Tristam's father said with a maddened glee, his son was already resisting the urge to hit him right there and then before he fought down the lump in his throat swallowing the bitter pill. **

"**No."**

**The man raised his own brow for a second, his hands falling to his sides before he shoved it into his jacket pocket Tristam realizing a very heavy outline in the fabric prompting him to open his mouth in demand for what was going on. What he did not anticipate was the trio of explosions ripping into his chest in quick succession, the boy staggering back as he tried to register what was happening right before he hit the ground with three smoking holes in his shoulder and sides his body rippling with the shocks of the bullets as he fell onto the snow eyeing the shadow of the very monster in human skin, his eyes looking at him contemplatively before he cocked the weapon glancing to where the two children were.**

"**Such a worthless and questioning fool is not to be called my son. You want to defy me so badly for family, let me take away who you desire to save. You say I care for my family, but I do…and that's why you're going to watch them pay for your mistakes." **

_That moment, I didn't know what happened. I recall skating around the ring with my own brother Amasa, his smile and childlike innocence despite the hidden sexual abuse was something that didn't surface into full blown hatred. The next thing I knew was the crack of glass and small puffs of air, then the dreaded moment came with the plunge of gravity and the luring darkness of the water dousing me in cold thick grasps. Amasa I could barely make out as he struggled swimming towards me barely catching me in his arms before we attempted to move towards the icy sheet, but fate once more played a very terrible card against us when we saw the shadow of our father attempting to break the glass with his hands to some success as we heard the sound of ice breaking. However just as we were about to drown…_

"**You dickless fucking scumbag, you'll pay for what you've done!" Tristam used the weakened strength of his body to slam into his father, the man grunting in surprise when the teen barreled straight into him knocking the weapon away before he threw a punch sending his father staggering backwards to the ground and used his elbow to drive it into the cheek of his father, knocking the man onto the sheet of ice which was floating in pieces as the temperature threatened to freeze over them. Panicking, the teen decided to rip one of the chunks of ice straining as his adrenaline tried its best to dull the pain which was forming in his body alongside the small trickles of blood from his wounds fortunately for him they were slow.**

"**Take my hand now!" Tristam yelled towards the two teens, his hand outstretched to pull out the hand of Amasa who was desperately holding on as the wounded teen heaved yelling in pain at the injuries before Theo decided to assist with her own hands, fighting the urge to sink lower into the dark abyss before she heaved bursting out of the icy water and onto the lake's surface, Theo immediately like Amasa swung their heavy soaked legs out from the water as both of them rolled onto the surface but the peace was interrupted by the sudden crack of ice reaching their ears. Aware of the threat, Tristam pushed the two siblings to their feet as the three siblings prepared to move away from the threat. **

"**Move, get yourselves to the shore!" Tristam didn't manage to say anymore before their father rose up from his position, the man already armed his silenced pistol as he glared at the two teens running past him unfocused and disorientated to their surroundings in that moment as they both ran by the two, guided by the shriek of their instincts to get out of dodge. At that moment Tristam glared at his father's dark orbs before he raised his pistol at Tristam who held his hands up in surrender, signifying his desire to not even fight. But no mercy would be shown to him in the midst of his father's own rage, the man pulling the trigger without a moment of hesitance just as the ice surrounding Tristam began to crack under the pressure of Amasa and Theo's hasty escape on the vulnerable ice. The next thing Tristam knew, the bullet entered his heart just as the ice around him fell away into nothing but the unforgiving depths of the large deep lake.**

_Back then, during the period in which he was experiencing it, Amasa would tell me how much he idolized Father so much, even telling me he was ready to help his family be a success in the world…even though he expressed much jealousy whenever he saw Father talking with Tristam so often that he would be more determined to do something to impress him. However in that same night, another decision was made due to Amasa's hesitation to turn back before we reached the car, if he had not…I wouldn't know what would have happened. But all I knew was that Amasa had his world taken from him the day he saw Tristam being murdered by his father, and the world around him spun and crumbled into ruin as day after day he saw my father put on a mask of worry for his long missing son in front of news presses that found the body eventually down at the bottom of the very lake he killed Tristam days later. The thought of it sickened him that his son was able to be abused and used like some expendable pawn…the fact that Father could even be capable of such false empathy, I saw Amasa grimace every time he made eye contact or was called into Father's room for 'personal' business. It soon had to change. That time came years later in the form of an opportunity and Amasa's breaking point._

**That night, Roberts' estate**

_**I will save…you from yourself**_

**Amasa glared in a new release of hatred, his own eyes narrowing as he approached his parent's room door down the hallway, closing his door silently behind him. Shifting his head to the left, the teen saw the nameplate hanging on the wooden door's surface hanging his head lightly as he continued his walk downwards, his eyes catching sight of a camera watching his movement. **

_**Time will change everything about this hell**_

**Amasa tightened his grip, the teen holding the hidden knife in his sleeve as he carried on his walk. He had already made sure he saw his sister had seen nothing about the incident at the lake, and when he had the knowledge that his sister fortunately for her lacked Amasa had taken a knife from the kitchen after talking to his mother who was nursing a bruise yet again from the previous night secretly in the dim light near the counter with an open drawer, the distraught woman sniffing in fear while wiping the tearstains from her eyes while placing over her cut cheek with a band aid, the boy briefly eyeing his mother who was self-absorbed into the treatment to notice him with an unknown expression on his face as he watched her continue to treat the bruise crying a small trail of tears. After a few good minutes, he had closed the door to the kitchen to make sure his mother would not be seen in this manner…to him it was unbecoming of a family so ripped to the bone, and for all his childhood naivety he was not blind to the despicable acts. Reaching out to grab the handle to the door that led to his father's bedroom and personal office, Amasa taking a deep breath as he looked back towards his sister's room hesitating for one more second as he gritted his teeth recalling the look of agony on Tristam's face just before the ice swallowed him whole.**

"**This time, you've gone too far…Father."**

_Things weren't the same after that night, Amasa went straight into the room and without a word besides a glare and a hateful spat of his saliva he dived right into my father sinking the knife blade right into his heart stabbing continuously without abandon. I wasn't even awake until then, the cries of my father were muffled by his hand clasping onto his face as the knife was thrust wildly into any flesh that it could find. Chest, face, eye, torso, hell Amasa even went so far as to stab into father's scrotum…it was then that I woke up to find the distant sobs from my bedroom door._

"**Sniff, sniff…"**

**The eyes of little Theo opened up clearly for the first time in the day, her tear stains still visible on her own cheeks as she grasped onto the pillow that supported her head unable to pay attention to the very vile thing that waited for her outside. Years had passed since they discovered Tristam's bloated body in the water, the bottom of the lake had to be dried up to a lower water level by the irrigators just to see if any weird occurrence had happened at the scene of disappearance. But even she could tell her father was lying, the way he told the story was contrary to the very one that she witnessed on that fateful day as her tiredness faded away prompting her to stretch her arms. She had not been oblivious entirely to the small exchange of words with stern faces at the corner of her eye. But she had refused to believe anything was wrong then, so why was it now that the feeling of dread crept upon her mind?**

"**sniff, sniff…no, Amasa…"**

"**Mother?" Theo threw the covers from her bed, hopping onto the ground to open the door hearing the whimpers of her own mother still echoing before she repeated her mother's title once more, the crying from the woman now in close proximity more clearer and precise just before she heard the next few words that came right from Amasa's mouth, the sound of his hushed and suppressed tone muffled the words in which were spoken, the emotions hitting Theo with some relief that he was still okay yet…something felt off right away. Her own curiosity inflamed by the desire to find out what was going on in the room and to her father, she made the mistake of pulling open the door and glanced down at the floor where the study table laid perfectly with an ink pool spilling onto the wooden oak floor combined with a mixture of a river of red liquid.**

**She sorely then wished that she hadn't.**

"**Father?" Hearing the voice of his own sister, Amasa stiffened tightly as his hand dropped the bloodied knife from his own bloodied fingers and hand to the floor, his head inclining towards his sister with a set of dying embers in his once lively eyes.**

"**I'm…sorry for this."**

_He left me alone after that, calling the police and walked out of the home without a suitcase or even supplies for his survival save for the bloodied clothes and a wretched heart to throw his feelings behind. I did not see him for years on end, every day spent at the orphanage was utterly miserable as I eventually left when I found a home to stay and feed myself with the job of a waitress. Eventually I was roped into the government agency somewhere in Europe and became one of them, uniform and everything…I figured by then the drama in my life would have died._

_At least until the dreams began to spring in my mind._

* * *

><p>"<strong>Excuse me? What did you just say?"<strong>

"**Ok, let's say that if Arthur was the one true king of England…was it really a he? Or was the whole thing just a sham for someone else of a more…feminine gender." Hearing the words coming out of Theo's mouth as she blabbered out her thoughts almost absentmindedly, the eyes of her partner was raised and a doubtful frown crossed his face placing his hand over his own forehead in a gesture that Theo could tell for herself it was forced and a prelude to the sarcasm that would soon follow up **

"**You know that's like asking if Zeus actually made the earth with his spit right, or even asking if God does exist and he can create many worlds if he so wished, or maybe that he is a she and is a feminist goddess to the feminists out there. I sincerely hope you are joking, Theo with all due respect to your own health and sanity. It's not true at all you know, the whole legend wasn't real except for the movies you've been hogging." The sound of her partner chortling was enough to get her to rub her head as she tried to open her mouth to protest back with a comment, however she found no words to answer back as her partner gave a shrug of his shoulders and opened the door to the break room, noting the time as he moved out to attend to his personal matters.**

"**That sure as hell didn't look false to me…I could have sworn that there wasn't a damn golden cup involved in a douse of magic to recreate those heroes. Not to mention…" Theo was left to her own thoughts as her partner decided to leave her alone, not that she cared or bothered to even keep an eye on that detail as she hummed to herself placing the used mug into the sink.**

_I dismissed it, at first. It was ridiculous to dream of such strange things…_

**Theo tossed and turned, her eyes opening to reveal bloodshot orbs as she rose from her slumber Theo wiping her own sharply burning eyes unable to believe what she just witnessed. Noting the hotness of the room, the woman looked down at herself to see that she was sweating profusely from the dream…or nightmare if she could even call it that, whatever she had dreamt of this time. It had been four months since the dreams began to occur in a timely fashion the visions beginning to swarm and cloud her own eyes each time she closed her eyes, each time there were many images that was burnt into her own mind since she last recalled during the last few nights although the imagery was about or almost all the same since it first occurred to her and truthfully to Theo it scared her. Shaking her head in an attempt to dismiss what she was just seeing a few minutes ago Theo reasoned that a trip to the bathroom sink right about there was the only solution to deal with her own delusions, her body entering the small clean room where she turned on the tap to splash her face ridding herself of some of her exhaustion.**

"**Tristam…that couldn't be him, could it?" **

_That would be a story for another time._

* * *

><p>With Merle and Theo<p>

"You can see it now, don't you? His own life is full of a mix of happiness and sadness…forced into having sex with his own father, the sight of his own family killing one another. The pressure eventually swallowed him whole, drove him right off the edge in response to such a violent act."

"I still do not get what this means for me, what good does it do to know the life of one man ready to kill me at a moment's notice? What connection does this have to do with the music box?" Merle asked as he sat up in his hospital bed, propping against the pillows as he shifted uncomfortably at the knowledge of this new information that was being fed to him before Theo looked away from him her bangs hiding her eyes from showing the emotions flashing through her facial movements, unwilling to let Merle see it. To see the pain that she endured from all of it, to her Merle was still nothing more than a stranger with a face too similar that she didn't want to say anything more that would reveal too much.

"What I mean is that Merle…he once had a goal, to keep our family together and impress his Father. He would do anything to make sure that the goal was fulfilled regardless of our father being a good man or not, Amasa will continue father's legacy even if he killed him with his bare hands. He has been disillusioned by the past actions by our father, to the point that his own actions are that of a purposeless man." Gripping her jeans tightly Theo scowled at that thought, her mind trying to sort out where did it all go wrong then but she cut that train of theories and suspicions. It did no good for her now, not that she blamed herself directly for it…she wasn't even aware of it and whatever her two brothers did they kept it secret. She reasoned that they did this to ensure she wasn't ensnared into something much bigger, and through recent interactions she learnt his intentions for her when she got older and the thought shattered her own world view of what was under the surface of undivided attention from a man she hardly knew well enough.

But even though their father was dead, what shocked her was how he casually wanted to place the Roberts family with the Fundamentalists themselves, the very same group that was doing dangerous works in the world. After all that the group had done, Amasa was willing to extend his hand in assisting them for their goals citing the reason as his duty and what he planned to do…however it made no sense to her, during those times she questioned her brother's sanity and his deep seated obsession about the past glory which their father planned for them. She then asked him why, he couldn't give her a reply or dodged the question entirely…he just said it was because he saw something that he needed to do, again he talked about Father like he still admired him but she knew, from his hidden frown it was a hatred like no other. But his tone when he tried to justify it was a dead giveaway, his tone sounded…dead. Like he had nothing to live for, like he was suicidal throwing himself into Phantom Task and doing secret work for the Fundamentalists behind every chance he got, faking his death to make sure that he could live his life void of everything. Then the visions she received appeared, the nights of hot flashes that depicted Tristam's death, his face of agony…then finally, a person she never saw before in her life, his face was just like her dear brother in another setting of a dysfunctional family, the attempted abuse and eventual standoff which resulted in a knife to the heart.

It changed her perspective when she heard of Merle, the thought of a person similar to her brother perhaps Merle could do what she Amasa's own flesh and blood couldn't…understanding how he worked and maybe even answers to her own brother's behaviors.

"I...can understand somewhat." Merle admitted as he caught Theo's attention to his words, the man humming in thought while he concentrated on the points in the story. "I can understand that his loyalty to his father was being misplaced, he is most likely still being tortured over the idea of having a father like that. But even so, no one should be throwing their lives into self-destruction or think that being alone would help things either," Merle said as he massaged his temple for a few seconds before he sighed.

"Merle, Amasa never says what is on his mind, even I right now am confused as to why he would throw himself in with the people who ruined my family...but I want to understand why. I figured you might be able to help me." Theo explained as she clenched her fists her knuckles giving cracks while she looked down at her lap Merle glancing at her with concern. "I hope you could talk sense into him, perhaps find out why he was doing this."

"Amasa...is most likely not sure of what he is doing anymore."

"What makes you say that?"

"You said he was already ruined by his father's abuse, but perhaps he did not see it that way. Perhaps he figured that the father he knew and the one who killed Tristam were two different men, and by killing the one who killed his brother, he could save the memory of a father before he realized there wasn't love. I guessed he was lost, wandering the streets...wondering what else he had left but to go back to the men who started it all." Merle summarized while Theo closed her eyes, sharing the confusion with Merle as the two adults breathed collectively before Merle spoke again. "But what's the point of it all, what is this device? This genetic key, what does it even do?" Merle shook his head, his emotions jumbled and messy from the messed up story of their family. He couldn't see what Amasa would want from him except the box, and right now if that box is open…what can he want from it?

"The genetic key wasn't tuned in to a specific DNA code in fact anyone could use it, by right it is pointless to have a genetic key if all it would do is to allow anyone to simply put their hands on it." Theo stated as she looked at Merle sadly, her eyes not showing any hint of strong emotion from divulging her story folding her fingers in an arch near her mouth. "However that was the point, that device is meant to allow anyone to access it and the two halves one of which Amasa holds is needed to complete the process. So the Fundamentalists created a failsafe." Looking at Merle sternly, she gestured to the toolkit containing the empty syringe in the case on the bed.

"The 'antidote' I gave you, can only slow the process. But in actual fact you have been poisoned consecutively by coming into contact with it, I guess you remember the sharp pain you felt when you first held the cylinder in your palm. The injection was sensitive to skin."

"Yes, I recall but what does have to do with-"

"That sharp pain you felt was the injection of a stream of poisons and nanomachines connected to the key itself…let me ask you one more question: did Amasa manage to visit you at all during the time you were here in this world?" Seeing Merle nod only confirmed a growing suspicion from the woman as she closed her eyes in deep focus her breathing sharpened. "When did he start, and what details can you share?"

"He fought me once and hit me with a paralytic poison, he said that it would be a temporary thing-"

"_**Music box? Yes it is, just like yours…but with a different purpose."**_

"_**Did you even manage to figure out what the symbols even mean in the first place?"**_

Merle suddenly widened his eyes in realization while he glanced over at Theo who was feigning a calm demeanor, keeping her composure in check so as to not startle the man easily before she broke the news to him now, refusing to deny him proper answers. "That 'paralytic' poison was the trigger for the reaction that would weaken your immune system and had parasitical organisms eating you from the inside. The steady injection of the genetic key would permanently keep you in a poisoned state unless you hold the key which subdues the nanomachines responsible for the phenomena to a certain degree but it will be enough to kill you. As of now, you're a walking corpse with a time bomb and the only way to shut it off is to join the key with the device Amasa has. But…"

"But what, what will happen when I do?" Merle queried, his own shock at being outplayed by the man long before he could catch on to the game was having an impact on his mind as a shiver caused his hairs to stand, his haste not going unnoticed by Theo who bit her lower lip at the next part that she had to say, mentally praying for Merle as she finally spoke the dreadful words.

"But if you do that, and when you do that…a virus will trigger via satellite, eating away the internal organs of the victims that they occupy. And that virus, right here and now… is implanted in the body of every IS pilot and potential recruit in the world lying dormant while the Fundamentalists have been updating the profiles on a yearly basis. The result won't kill some of the new blood since Amasa's second piece disappeared, as the two need to be updated at all times to keep up with the register however Tabane's legacy would disappear in a torrent of death and destruction, it would take many lives."

"You understand now, don't you? The purpose of the Fundamentalists was meant to control the tide of change and manipulate events to their own favor…and right now, their goal is to wipe every pilot off the face of the planet due to their overtaking of the military being an unfavorable advantage overall globally. The Fundamentalists and war have been partners for years." Theo leaned in close, her eyes piercing the man's with an extremely grave stare her voice lowering to that of a growl near his earlobe the harsh words were discomforting to Merle as he tried to look away but fought down the urge to do so.

"Did you even stop to consider why Amasa showed you the box, or why the energy was that of an IS core?" Seeing Merle's eyes twitch gave her the answer, Theo huffed and leaned back into her seat. "I see, he didn't tell you that either. The device is a key, but the trigger of the virus will not be the only thing that is the deadliest about killing off almost every single pilot in the world by command."

"I see I have to explain that bit to you as well. What you don't know, or at least that was what a few years of careful infiltration into the heart of the Fundamentalist group earned me with during an assignment. A few were immunized just before the creation of the weapon, but it was a select few. Now just to ask you before you make your own conclusion, is that what happens to the Infinite Stratos suits, the ones that would result from lying in desolation once their masters wither away…only one group would benefit from such an operation of such scale, and be useful for serving the Fundamentalists' goals effectively without arousing suspicion."

Merle felt his own throat tighten as his mind pieced the last of the puzzle to the forming picture in front of him, the words of God echoing through his own mind to the very beginning of his mission where he was in the blackness of death. After all this time the clues were slowly beginning to just formulate in his own mind, the scattered events fixing themselves into a mental timeline that he was just

_A family of two, siblings, are about to lose the only family they have left. Their parents and a third are elsewhere on their own path, but I fear destruction of these three children that I ask of you whether you would choose to take on the guise of yet another name and life in order to save them from this path they walk._

It took all of his own inner strength to speak the very thing he dreaded to say the most.

"Madoka, Phantom Task."

* * *

><p>Unknown<p>

"It's done, the Hundred Years War has ended and the Avatar can continue to become a symbol of balance to the world…although, I have to admit why would such a spirit be allowed to continue?" A man spoke towards the darkness of the large void as the voice replied in a silent whisper.

"_Simply put, the spirit will be eliminated later…at another time. This time however Raava will continue to possess with eagerness the one thing attaching her to this world, all the while feeding off the world's continuous turning point between good and evil. Vaatu on the other hand, it too will perish in time with what you've done…all that's left now, is to wait until Raava chooses the next one to keep breaking the balance."_

"I see…I hate to imagine what I have to do towards the next body in the cycle. To think she could even plan such a thing such as forcing a person to become her Avatar by coercion and making sure imbalance is perfectly symmetrical-"

"_Raava is cunning to use the life force of the very people she possesses in order to maintain the uneven balance for the pursuit of justice by blood and fire, her use of the Avatar state ensures the people are tied to her…if she dies so does the host however she can leech onto whoever she desires to possess without consent. Others have thought that it was the invisible hand of nature, but in these troubling times nothing is ever certain…she is now prideful that even a person like you can be defeated by her schemes."_

"But she will realize it in time, the next eclipse." The man surmised as he glanced at the void, a gnawing silence soon enveloped the void before the voice replied back.

"_And before then you would have succeeded. The next person in the cycle must know this: one person can master all elements under her influence, but it isn't a requirement to becoming a balancer of the scales, the real truth is that there was no need for a person to take up the title of balance or represent all the good of mankind, it creates an unnecessary burden that destroys you. You must personally make your own destiny rather than let a spirit dictate its course, for it is the person's choices that define their road and how it can end."_

"Yet you continue to let wars happen, blood to be shed. Why not just make people follow with a wave of your hand or something like that, why ask people like us to do so on your behalf?"

"_People will follow what is right for them, and to them…they would choose never to believe and it is their decision to act on that unbelief. I cannot enforce it by blood, what purpose would that serve? Control by force means a loss of freedom, fear, hate…that is what happens when you decide to feed the world what it desires to see from a God, they see me as a person to control things…but what they don't know is that if I truly controlled their actions, why do some plans never go their way or why would things be the opposite of intent? Essentially there are many reasons why, and the fact remains that it is important that man must find its way there to my path, I can only guide them…I already am rejected from their minds to be forgotten and ridiculed when my name appears in a conversation, I cannot change them with force…it is never the way to do so. As to why I chose you, you answered what was in your heart, and that is the only reason why I did so."_

"I cannot hope to understand, but you are right, I did make the decision but it doesn't mean dissatisfaction." The man answered solemnly, turning to leave the void through a small doorway of light before he paused. "By the way, I have met the target and have secured the woman in question and she should be on her way towards his location now…will I have to be involved any further?"

"_I'm afraid not. Amos is the one I have appointed to end the Grail Wars and spark the end of magic itself from within the Association and their ranks themselves once he has succeeded in his task, he will know what is to be done next…now it is time to fight another battlefield. More people suffer, and willing disciples are ready to know how."_

"I see, in that case, I follow wherever you lead me to."

"_I believe the thanks are to be yours for choosing to serve. Without those willing to undertake such tasks, the worlds in need would be damned for good…Tristam."_

End

* * *

><p>Author's notes: The purpose of the music box is revealed.<p>

It took so long, the hidden purpose, the whole story behind it took a lot of thought to incorporate. Now I am no scientist, so what I have said would not make too much sense as this is fanfic and fiction so the possibilities of such things are endless, I will leave that science stuff at that.

Why a third sibling? I wanted him to be an aspect of Merle, what do I mean by that? You have Amasa, the happy kid turned killer who was abused and committed an act which Merle could have done in an alternate timeline, while Tristam is like the part of Merle who was the light, the faith from the religion and his belief in God and determination to fight which built up in his years of abuse, and a reflection to stand against his oppressor. Tristam was the person who was like Merle, he stood up to his father and perished while Amasa in grief went to do the complete opposite and fell.

The father was said to be like a close if not parallel of the one in here, so I had to make him vile as possible if not worse. He is ambitious to stand with the Fundamentalist group, one for change which is an opposite of Merle's drunken dad who beats his son and mother just cause he can, I decide again to make it a mirrored if not similar past.

Those who question, what is this god? What is his inspiration? I took him heavily from the Christian God as inspiration for planning a second chance to serve a mission, and it felt like a missionary trip without the forceful 'You must submit or go to hell' approach…a touch of realism.

Amasa is abnormal, he is the direct polar opposite of what Merle could be and while Merle has purpose, he has close to no motivation at all…he is a shell, a person who wanted to die in the shadows. But the visions of a man like him bring unwanted attention and so he is dragged out to wipe his existence, this is his original motive. And to do that, he will lie and cheat and use whatever means to kill him. With that in mind, the next chapter will be skipping ahead to the ill-fated trip to Europe.

What will happen then, I wonder?

Only cliffhangers, and the second part of the Act can hope to end this story…but for now, peace out and have a great day.

VI


	32. Holiday Days, Heart to Heart Part 1

IS Valkyrie

Author's notes: Hey guys this was the long awaited interlude chapter I was already planning to make but because of other things and a need for a holiday I had completely forgot about, it took me very long to make a decisive time slot to do this.

By the way, out of time for myself as I will be busy soon with some other matters and would like to have more time for myself, the interlude arc is divided into three parts or is it two? Either way this is the first chapter of the day before Merle's sudden attack of the deathly weapon, and I will admit that this is a bit excessive but I wish to fix up and wrap up some points.

One being the conversation that Chifuyu has at the stone area with the girls, that will come later.

Disclaimer: Do not own IS, if I do I would probably not do anything much with it.

* * *

><p>Extras from Ichika's day at the water park<p>

With Houki and Ichika

"So, what were they trying to do to you again?" Ichika twitched nervously, his body shivering in silent dread about the scuffles he had had since coming into the water park before he answered with a tired groan nearly hitting his head onto the hard table.

"For once, Houki-chan…I have absolutely no idea." He said in lament missing out the Shinonono's glance and raised eyebrow of skepticism, the gaze literally spelling out 'are you sure you had an idea the last few times that they've tried to get you alone' while she took another spoonful of chocolate swallowing the cold melting delight as she took a break from eating, allowing her body to balance the temperature while Ichika sat in his chair leaning backwards to look at the windowed ceiling.

The day had not gone well for the poor boy, he had tried to spend as much time with the girls on an equal basis as he did invite the lot of them over to the water park in the first place, and by extension he is the host of the event…that logic would make sense to him if the same could have been said for the other girls. Houki sighed as she placed the cup of ice cream sundae on the table while kicking her legs lightly, her hair was dripping wet from the last few water slides she had taken and going into a competitive swim with Laura who was still channeling her inner soldier onto the water grounds, the Japanese girl taking on the challenge since she had nothing much to do. Along with a certain boy who was dragged off by the other girls in separate parts of the park leaving her not much time to spend with him, which Houki found was a bit too cruel for the others in her opinion to simply tear jerk him away from one another save for Charlotte who was by far the least aggressive in her approaches taking her time to slowly accumulate her enjoyment…something that Merle always told her to do.

* * *

><p><em>Dojo, before the island arc<em>

"_So how's your relationship doing now that you took my advice?" Merle asked as he drank his cup of tea laying it on the small table which he had set up in the middle of the room where a tea set with a smoking kettle was presented on the side, Houki twirling her long bang from her shoulder as she placed her fingers together in contemplativeness while Merle simply took his time, the time ticking away to none of his concern before Houki found her voice to speak what she was thinking her fingers leaving the pose. "I…It's been…"_

"_It's been?" _

"_Improving, I feel like it is going well." Houki answered with a rough smile as she took the cup handle which held the warm tea bringing it to her mouth for a sip, her throat clenching as she tried to fight the burning sensation which was spreading down her throat taking great care not to breathe as the hot feeling went to her lungs, the Japanese girl placing it down on the table while holding a small grin on the corners of her lips. Merle observed the entire scene with mild amusement controlling his own urge to laugh at her struggle before he gave her a smile of pride for her progress, seeing her genuine smile was something that needed to be improved on as she slowly got out of her old way of thinking and grabbing Ichika's attention, the man recalling his encounters with the Orimura's sister and seeing her blushing face brought a daydreaming grin on his physical features. "Go into whatever detail you wish to tell me, how is the relationship going since you changed your approach towards him?"_

"_For once, I feel as though Ichika has become less terrified of me and more open to me than I expected once I started to listen to him a little more. He has also started to find me a bit more and I feel less like he was inviting me over to meals with him because of our past friendship…all in all I've never been more glad that he is beginning to rely on me sometimes more than before." Houki explained further as she took another gulp of the lukewarm drink, her answer bringing satisfaction as Merle nodded setting the kettle on the ground to avoid knocking it aside with his long arms. "Well that is really good, that is a good sign that your relationship isn't some game and is a lot more direct than you would think it was before. When a relationship is beginning to develop on some kind of path, you'll notice things like the ones you have stated which means that it is a step in the right direction or at least getting your relationship out of stagnation and moving on." _

"_I am glad you talked to me about this, Sensei-I mean Merle." Houki spoke realizing his look of disapproval at being so formal with him as she quickly addressed him by name, the teacher smiling as he leaned back a little placing his palms on the hard floor of the dojo enjoying the air conditioner, silence coming between the two for a while before Houki decided to break the silence as a question loomed in her mind regarding him, the Japanese swordswoman placing her hands on her knees._

"_Merle, I actually wanted to ask you something if you don't mind." Hearing her question, the teacher lowered his head which had been looking at the ceiling to respectfully look at her indicating he was listening as Houki's firm tone carried a bit of uncertainty. "About you and Chifuyu sensei…I notice you two have become a bit closer than usual in the past few months." Placing his hands on his knees as he sat down on the ground instead of just kneeling seiza, Merle rubbed the back of his head tangling his short bangs between his fingers as he gave her the brightest smile he had as a mental image of the woman came to the forefront of his mind._

"_We have, but the next stage isn't coming up yet until Chifuyu says something which I can understand as 'I want you badly too' though overall yes we are getting a lot closer, why the interest?" _

"_Oh, uh, I was just-uh, wondering what you feel or think about her. Plus the relationship has been the rumor circulating around some of the classes with Chifuyu fans being a little edgy around you." Houki said uncertain with what to say at his openness to the topic and the affirmative he had just given her about the status of the relationship, the Japanese girl twirling her bang again while Merle waited patiently pouring his near empty cup with more tea as he placed a hand under his chin in thought. "I see, no wonder most of the class has been giving me evil eyes as of late and my door getting a death letter with paper cutouts of me with a knife in my chest, but anyway. How I feel? She's wonderful, goes along with my jokes and knows when it is suitable to work and play possibly a bit more perceptive than I about certain things I'm unsure of, but that's just her skills and abilities. What I really feel for her…is something but I cannot describe it with, neither words or poetry or any possible word in the dictionary can fully hold the weight of my feelings towards her and she knows it herself. But right now, I have to wait."_

"_Eh? Why?"_

"_Because while I am aware as well as she is, she has a lot to think about especially when it is a relationship that has developed to this point where both of our feelings are acknowledged but can't be ignored…like me, she has to sort this feeling out whether it is indeed what it sounds like or simply the briefest moment of pleasure in each other's company. I can approach her with the decision but I think until she's ready to speak about it or if the moment is right for us I will bring it up, and we can both determine the future of our path." Merle explained simply as he watched Houki tilt her head having some grasp of what he was saying but not enough to completely understand his point of view as he shrugged taking the cup and watching the steam rise from the water, gulping the tea. "And that, is the best answer I can give."_

* * *

><p>Present day<p>

"…Understanding," Houki muttered the word to herself feeling a foreign feeling when she spoke it loud while Ichika was slurping down on the drink he had bought to go along with the ice cream, the Japanese girl looking at her childhood crush for the longest period of time ignoring her own beverage of orange juice which was beginning to turn a little warm from the heat of the sun despite the shade of the umbrella stand, Houki's troubled look turning into a determined one as she rose from her seat Ichika finally snapping out of his small world to look up at his childhood friend who surprisingly had a rather serious expression on her face, the sight worrying him as he took his mouth off the straw. "Is something wrong, Houki-chan?"

"…Ichika."

"Huh, yes?" Ichika said confused as he finished his drink, the boy watching Houki move her gaze away from the boy to oversee the large expansive water park her eyes watching intently before she pointed at her target, her eyes going back to Ichika. "Let's go do the slide over there."

"Eh, but isn't that slide where you go in…pairs…" Ichika trailed off as he finished his train of thought, the boy feeling a shiver pass over his spine while Houki ignored the density of the statement as she moved over to Ichika tapping him on the shoulder instead of dragging him along as she gave him a stare. "Ichika…come on, you've had the other girls all to yourself and yet here I am not having a chance to get a turn to do something with you. Or is that perhaps possibly because you are just satisfying the others and prioritizing them more than me?" Houki said as she put on a mock sad face when she said the last part Ichika feeling a pang of guilt at his previous sentence while feeling an invisible audience muttering in his mind cross examining his words and actions like judges at a cooking show. Taking the advantage Houki softened her expression to one of sincerity as she grabbed Ichika by the shoulders noting his slightly unsure look as she tensely stared at him, recalling the words of Merle in her mind. "If you don't want to do it, we can do something else. I want to know what you prefer too, and whether I am going too far ahead for you."

"I…" She felt the need to say something as he began to think things over, the girl about to take things in her own hands before the warning Merle spoke to her regarding relationships stopped her in mid-stride causing her to freeze.

_Remember, Houki while it is good to have your independence show him that he has his own independence too despite his good nature and it will give him time to consider and possibly even agree with what you may desire so long as you give him choice not obligation._

"I…would like to do that slide with you, if it were up to me as well." Ichika stated with embarrassment as Houki felt her heart thump loudly in the ribcage of her chest, the girl flushing red as she fought the urge to bolt and scream, the swordswoman settling for a weird looking smile that was twitching at the corner as she held out her hand gripping his own gently instead of the rough drag she used to do. "Come on, Ichika…let's go and enjoy some real fun."

* * *

><p>Elsewhere, mall<p>

"You sure I can go in there? It is forbidden territory after all."

"Heh, after you took me to the technology store just to see if you could purchase a laptop, you seem to forget necessities Merle…chan."

"Ugh," Merle let out a groan as he brought a hand to his face looking a teeny bit scandalized as he recalled the previous night they spent cuddling, that moment playing him right into her hands as Chifuyu gave a sneaky glance that dared him to form one of his witty comebacks which, not to his surprise, didn't even form as the man looked to the ground in defeat. The brief moment of depression lifted as quickly as it had come to him the assistant teacher followed behind almost submissively into the store, his presence attracting some attention from the females in the store making the man feel a little out of place while he looked over the contents. He managed to see a few fellow males who were standing in a small circle talking but he avoided them, his desire to spend some time with his girlfriend being the number one concern though he spared a glance and a single nod of understanding of their situation getting the same reaction in return from the group. Merle waited for a moment before they reached one of the sections as Chifuyu scanned the rows of what she was aiming to get, picking a set from the selection while Merle kept silent forcing down his own expectations of the situation unfolding in front of him so he would not say anything stupid.

"Merle…"

"…Yes?"

"I want to ask, what do you think of this one?" She spoke quietly while she placed a hand out letting Merle's avoiding eyes cast itself down upon the set, the man feeling his blood pumping in places it shouldn't yet as he tugged at his collar. Silently looking over the set, he closed his eyes as he began to use his imagination to conjure an image of what she would look like before he opened his eyes shaking his head in rejection. "It's not that the color suits you, but that you have too many of those…maybe dark red, or blue would be…*ahem* nicer to wear?"

"R-Red a-and b-blue suit me?" Chifuyu stammered as she looked to the selection, Merle quietly calming his heartbeat which had begun to race as he nodded in agreement letting her take a dark blue set showing it to him as Merle felt the lump in his throat grow larger, the image he conjured in his mind was more than satisfied with it as he tried to find his voice attempting to give a smile to break the nervousness in his own body unaware that Chifuyu was beginning to feel utterly embarrassed from asking him such a question. "I-It's, uh, it is rather…uh, it looks really…it looks really wonderful on you, Chifuyu."

"W-Wonderful…" Chifuyu's dazed look was the only indication of her registry of his words, the reaction made Merle feel as though he was admitting to a guilty pleasure he was doing while both parties flushed bright red the full impact of the awkwardness and the content they were looking at was more than enough for Merle as he suddenly took a step forward grabbing Chifuyu by her arm as he led her to the changing area, the man's reddened face turning away to disguise his own thoughts about this situation. "J-Just tr-try it out and we'll see how it goes, yeah?"

* * *

><p>With Ichika and Houki<p>

"So what do we do here, Houki?" Ichika said as the two joined the queue that formed up at the slide, the girl twirling her hair as she eyed the boy out the corner of her eye smiling in happiness to herself as she replied to his question. "Well this is a paired slide, so both of us go at the same time and we keep…close as we go down." Ichika due to the density he carried in the ways of romantic implications luckily didn't blush at all instead tilting his head to the side as he looked at her blankly the two moving up the queue as couples and some family members were chatting away.

"Of course, it's what we need to do right?"

"I…yes," Houki wanted to explain herself a bit more clearly but due to his confused look and out of awkwardness in her mind from trying to simplify it she hesitated as she rubbed her temple with two fingers wondering how on earth did Ichika manage to go through life without knowing the impact he makes on people, as well as his influence luring her into his warm personality. It was one of the things she loved about him, and one of the main factors that reeled her in the first time they met and played in the past down by the dojo all those years ago…his selflessness being a rare treasure that was hardly present in a man these days now, it was considered beneficial. Though that wasn't the only reason she would list in her line of loving the boy, it was a fraction of the things she could say about him that haven't changed in the last few years since she left the town and was absent for his middle and high school days, though secretly she wished he would have lost that obliviousness to be more aware of her suggestions.

"Houki we are here already." Ichika's hand on her shoulder followed by a light shake of her body snapped her back to reality as she glanced over her shoulder to see the teen giving her a worried look as she shrugged off his invisible question with a wave of her hand. "I'm fine, I spaced out for a bit. So…shall we go, before the line gets too long?"

"Ladies first," Ichika said without thinking as Houki breathed a sigh of relief at his words confusing him but the girl wasn't focused on whether he was listening as she sat on the running water which was pouring out from holes in the slide tunnel, feeling the sting of the cold water brushing against her skin wetting her swimwear as she heard Ichika move behind her his visible legs beside her own as she felt herself getting nervous before Ichika held her waist causing a small 'eep' from the girl experiencing a shiver alongside a blush on her cheeks while the teen pushed them forwards Houki holding her hands together nervously shifting while the two slid down the pool rushing up to meet them as the two of them crashed head on into the pool the spray of water and the eventual plunge kicking Houki into action as her head and Ichika's poked out of the water surface, the two swimming to the edge as they gave each other a laugh. "That was enjoyable, Houki."

"Y-Yes it was." Houki replied a little flushed by the boy's statement feeling some satisfaction with herself as she rubbed circles around her eyes attempting to take away her tiredness while Ichika patted his wet swimming pants flicking some droplets away as they made their way out to one of the small ponds of water which were for relaxation, the two sinking in as the warm water warmed their bodies.

"Now that was a good slide down, I felt like everything got lighter when I was in the water…thanks a lot for this Houki." Ichika kindly said as he slid further into the water while Houki lightly tugged the bikini string from her neck smiling at his appreciation of the gesture, the girl splashing the water lightly with her hand as she replied staring at the water. "T-That's fine, I am just helping you relax a bit more before any of the others decide to drag you away-" Houki didn't finish her statement as another female voice called to the two of them, Ichika waving to someone behind her as the Japanese pilot turned to see Charlotte making her way to their position sinking into the pool as well the three occupants forming a small circle while Ichika turned his attention to the French maiden.

"Hey Char, how's the water park?"

"It's been exhausting, the others are together so they wouldn't get lost and I just went off to find you at the stall where we agreed to meet but you weren't there, I turned around and there you were." Charlotte explained as she brought her knees to her chest tilting her head in a smile at Ichika who returned it in kind, the Japanese girl feeling a sense of jealousy building in her stomach before she tried to avoid it letting them talk as she focused on her relaxation. "Ichika, where's your sister?"

"She wasn't meant to accompany me, I just invited you all here for some fun and besides I think Chifuyu-nee is busy right now with Merle," Ichika had a bit of a smirk to his face as he recalled just how glowing his big sister looked as she walked into the kitchen when he had just finished breakfast the older sibling expressing a bit more emotion than the usual monotonous tone in her voice, followed by the appearance of Merle who was wearing some casual like he always had in the campus except that it seemed more appropriate with Chifuyu's taste if the hum of approval was not any other indicator than the roaming eyes on his state of dress and slightly predatory stare told him enough.

Charlotte put a finger to her lips as she thought about something, the French girl looking at Ichika. "I heard that Chifuyu sensei is taking an interest in Merle sensei, is that true? They have been getting rather close to one another in the past months, and even in the classroom they were sometimes casting glances at one another while Merle teaches made me wonder if they were, you know…"

"Huh? Oh, yes Chifuyu-nee is interested in him but I can't say how deeply she likes him." Ichika said as he continued to sink further in the pool kicking his legs up and down while feeling the warm water envelop his leg like it was in a hurricane of swirling bubbles the weight of the pressure depth pushing on his force. Charlotte gave a genuine face of surprise when Ichika himself confirmed the suspicions she had harbored for a while, the French girl placing a hand over her mouth in expression while Houki opened an eye glancing at the pilot, "I didn't know they were already that close, and in such a short time too…they are rather compatible with each other despite differences."

"Well, I wouldn't say they clicked immediately with circumstances but over the period of a year and a half…I sensed a bit of understanding between them, though to be honest seeing them together is a bit weird for me since I am the sibling to Chifuyu rather than a friend or relative and it is still taking me some time to get used to him being this close with her." Ichika admitted as he looked at the pool of water the small bubbles from the jets below coming to the surface while he stayed silent the conversation branch drying out as Charlotte absorbed the new information, Ichika was about to relax with the pause before another voice spoke up behind him.

"Ichika! There you are…" Ichika suddenly felt the warmth of the water go cold, the boy hearing the familiar malice attached beneath the bright sunny tone that he had become rather accustomed to just as the purple presence of dark intent caressed his cheek his expression becoming abject terror. "Did you know how long I've been looking for you? I have been searching the entire park, haven't gotten a glimpse of you since you miraculously disappeared and had not enough screen time to give me a further relationship bonding with you." (A/N: I was being a little biased, that happens in written work.)

"L-Lingyun…wh-what are you-?"

"Come, Ichika I think you've already spent enough time with your dear _first childhood friend_ long enough, let's go on some slides," Rin spoke as she pulled the poor man by his ear giving a sharp glare to Houki who was still relaxing silently by herself but the Japanese girl hid the fact she noticed the ugly look given to her, sinking deeper into the water just as Rin turned and stormed off dragging a distraught Ichika looking to Charlotte first who simply gave a helpful wave of her hand at his struggle the gesture dooming him as he turned to Houki who was too busy relaxing to notice he was being dragged away, the boy giving up mid-struggle as Rin used her unnatural strength to pull him out of sight towards one of the taller slides in the park leaving the two females behind. Charlotte glanced at Houki who was still closing her eyes, the girl fidgeting a little nervously as she realized this was the first time she was alone with the Japanese pilot without Ichika between any of them as a subject to distance themselves away from one another, and that jarring fact made itself clear when Houki kept quiet the silence aside from the water churning out of the small jets in the floor being the white noise.

Charlotte felt obliged to speak first to break the awkward feeling that was beginning to settle in. "Uh, Houki-san…"

"Do you like him too?" The question from Houki threw the French girl off as she let out a tiny squeak of surprise at the question, her hand going to her cheek upon instinct caressing the skin while a blush worked its way onto her face the reaction giving Houki who had opened an eye the answer she needed. "So it is true, you do like Ichika don't you? I have seen your interactions when you playing as 'Charles Dunois' the way you were staring up at him with both fascination and wonder, like being the second male pilot was a shock to you which was weird back then when I looked upon it in hindsight," Houki replied as she opened her remaining eye turning to face Charlotte with a serious expression that was being the kind that searched for answers but unable to find any in the French girl who met her gaze with a much more timid gaze unsure of how to respond to her.

"So it's not that difficult to hide from you is it?" Charlotte asked sadly as Houki relaxed her tense gaze, the former looking down at the reflection of herself with purple eyes glimmering in the sunlight like sparkling stones. Houki said nothing, the girl opting to push the water with a wave of her palm in the body of water feeling the pressure slowing her movement as she watched the ripples like they held interest before she spoke up her perceptive nature coming into play.

"To be honest, I was kind of expecting the affections of other girls to be following him for his time here when I realized he was the transfer student to the academy…then again, I thought that was a meeting by fate when I noticed who he was and that he just happened to have the luck of being an IS pilot, the first male no less to be able to do so. His kindness and polite nature, Ichika always had such an effect on people particularly females who found him to be a rare breed of man who they found to trust with things that may have been personal to others he had this intrusive nature of helping them whenever he could. You could say he was like the typical 'white knight in shining armor on a majestic steed'," Houki said a little bitterly as she hugged her knees to her chest, Charlotte on the other hand stiffened when she heard that the girl not wanting to admit that those things were right on the mark in her case but she didn't have to as Houki gave a dry laugh at her indecisive look. "Don't get shy, Charlotte, he was being hit on by girls long before he was a high school student when he still hung around me…I wouldn't be surprised he helped you with your problems in some way."

"Why are you-?"

"Because after hearing what Chifuyu-n-uh, Chifuyu sensei's words back then, the questions she asked and her declaration…I feel like I have to do or say something to one of you just to make things clear and out in the open instead of a cold war between us or worse," Houki said truthfully as she breathed deeply before opening her mouth to say the most embarrassing sentence in her life in front of the French pilot who was already getting an idea of what she was going to say Houki admitting the words out of her mouth. "I really love Ichika, Charlotte."

* * *

><p>With Merle and Chifuyu, mall<p>

Merle didn't say anything as he walked out of the store with Chifuyu the latter looking redder than ever as she walked down the mall with him the two adults feeling utterly and entirely embarrassed by the experience they shared for the last hour in that store, the cashier who had even taken stock of the items purchased by Chifuyu gave him a sly look when she laid eyes on the underwear sets her grin threatening to break through her professionalism making the man lower his head unable to meet her eyes, the expression he made also caused the older Orimura to realize the implications before they both fell into the state they were in, making silence between the new couple.

"Well…" Merle said trying to diffuse the situation that was occurring between them as he turned his head away from the woman so that Merle wouldn't have to feel even more embarrassed than before, Chifuyu smacking a palm onto her face groaning as she recalled the look on the cashier's face as they both exited the store. "Merle, there is no need to say anything about what we just faced in that store…I just want to go elsewhere and not think about it right now."

"But you looked really good in the blue-ow!" Merle cried as he felt a punch on his arm, the man rubbing the limb as he gave a pout at seeing Chifuyu clenching a fist while she had a full blown blush across her face the bright red as well as her squinted eyes at his next words made him giggle at his girlfriend's reaction to his compliment, the man clutching his mouth in his hands. "What's so funny?"

"It was a genuine compliment, you did look really attractive in blue you know…maybe you should get a lighter shade of red next time if you want to look for more colors in the store," Merle suggested as Chifuyu punched his arm again the man yelping with a bit of a bruise as he felt the force behind her punches as an indicator to stop talking about it further, the man deciding to go along with it as the two walked side by side Merle hooking her hand with his the woman relaxing from her fit of embarrassment allowing herself to calm down holding the bag's handle gripping it tightly in her hand.

"Merle," Chifuyu said as she looked up at the substitute teacher who gave her a questioning gaze, the woman fidgeting with her hand. "If it isn't too much trouble, when we get back home later…"

"I don't think I would be able to handle such a step now, it's not my nature to do that until we are officially tied together," Merle held up a hand as he spoke to the woman gave a small 'oh' in reply to her request the woman almost feeling her heart sink a little at his refusal just as Merle replied as an afterthought to her words. "Though, Chifuyu…like I said I wouldn't mind a sneak peak when we're well and fully acquainted with each other, even if it takes another year." His words stunned the woman just as she felt her heart race again at his own tease, Chifuyu stuttering as she tried to reply to the man's jest her cheeks puffing up in a small pout the woman giving a small tight squeeze of his hand almost forcing him to his knees.

"I-I d-didn't say that it needed to be now or later at the house…pervert." She stated firmly as Merle turned to smile widely at the woman while they turned a corner towards a new row of stores, the couple both in a short period of silence before the man teased yet again. "But I did appreciate the sight back in the changing room though, your invitation was quite the kiss and tell show I was surprised we didn't do anything else in there."

"Shut up, Merle."

End

* * *

><p>Author's notes: Part one is done, and guys I do hope you all are having a good day…I know I have while waiting for the emergence of the PC version of AC Rogue, my avoidance of Black Flag and Unity were because of a break from the series has returned me to wanting to complete the AC 3 trilogy story arc.<p>

Anyways, it's been a while but I hope you enjoy this distraction from the main story before getting settled into the arc that to be honest is at the back of my mind due to the fact I am aiming to do a lot of sweet moments in the next chapter or two.

I will update soon, so do keep an ear out.

VI


	33. Final Goodbye, Do I deserve him?

Author's notes: Welcome to the small interlude arc which takes up I should think three parts, the first part is to cover some of the actions that Ichika and girls were doing as well as both Merle and Chifuyu. This chapter is going to cover the conversation that Chifuyu (for those who read the light novel or have seen the anime) had with the girls in the hotel when she made her observations known of their obvious affection, and you will recall from previous chapters that I have written that part of the conversation at the rocky plain. You'll hear the rest of it now, and also I am adding an Amasa part to clarify many of the questions to what might be on your minds like if he looks like Merle but yet you say he isn't like him…what is he? How might he be different?

To be honest, I am using this chapter to clarify the best of my knowledge what he is besides being a symbol of foil with Merle's past as characters do not necessarily need to follow the direct opposite of whatever the protagonist does, they have their own shades of grey in what they do.

Also be warned that in this chapter it is a complete turnaround in terms of the story as I will be introducing the beatdown that Chifuyu administers onto the girls' efforts to get Ichika to notice them, and I will explain why I did so in the notes.

NOTE: This has been updated and edited after I read through it.

As usual let me know what you think.

Disclaimer: I do not own the IS series in anyway save for me OC, he's my precious.

* * *

><p>Amasa rose from the bed of his apartment, a light shining into the hotel room he had acquired for himself as the man stretched his arms in the air feeling his muscles and bones stretch and creak in the silence. Rising from his bed, the man threw the covers of the silk which was over his body revealing a simple white long sleeved shirt and black boxers as he walked to the balcony sliding open the glass door by flicking the lock upwards feeling the stale morning air as a tiny breath of air assaulted his body.<p>

"Well so much for the morning breeze, that sucks." Amasa commented as he slunk back into his room heading for the kitchen this time the man giving a glance toward the bed, his eyes observing a small lump under the covers next to where he slept before he had a small smile come to his face the memories of last night's event coming to mind. Leaving the presence within the covers alone to rest Amasa approached the kitchen counter where he opened the fridge, perusing over the selection of milk and juice the man cycling through his choice by flicking his finger between the two before he grabbed the latter not wanting to get an upset stomach from the milk grabbing a glass to fill it up. Going to the cabinet serving as the tiny secluded pantry area, Amasa noticed some biscuits that he then grabbed too opening the pack and feeding himself while he stared at the curtains fluttering in the wind, their alluring white see-through giving him a relaxing breath as he sat down at the living room's couch reclining onto the long furniture placing his bare feet on the armrest without a care chewing on a biscuit.

"…Valmet." He spoke softly as he turned to see the figure sleeping in the bed unaware of his missing presence near it before he stared downwards at the carpet.

He had no idea why or for what reason prompted him to come to her when he first arrived back in Germany, he overheard from Koko that her entourage would have stopped in Germany just as he was about to do the same for the final arc in his story the woman inviting him to dinner where he met her and Valmet who was the only one besides that Chinese soldier from the old gang to even approach him, the latter wasn't even part of the group herself and acted as a bodyguard to someone else…though no surprises he could kinda guess who since his reconnections with the Fundamentalists led to other opportunities and contacts he figured were long burned from his memory. But as he sipped his juice he could recall the moments after the dinner, an image of Koko suddenly leaving the poor man with the two bodyguards for a while and his attempts to speak with Valmet had gone rather smoothly for a very unexpected reunion though he wished the same could have been said for the Chinese woman who was exuding professionalism even in a casual setting, and that scared him with her nature of neatness including being dutiful made her seem…a bit broken. Valmet had dragged him out later for a night around town, and he recalled being a bit drunk by the bar near the hotel he was staying, then some words being exchanged, the rustle of clothes, the feeling of skin against skin…the last image was the most recent and memorable of the night, Amasa reasoned.

"_I wonder how the others are doing, then again they would rather put a gun against my head and pull the trigger," _Amasa reasoned to himself as he drank some of the juice once more feeling a crack in his visage of neutrality, his grip on the glass tightening before he clenched his free hand which held a biscuit instead careful not to break the glass and opted for the vulnerable snack in hand feeling the grainy sensation rubbing on his skin oiling it with fat as he felt his mood go sour.

The last time he saw the old gang, he nearly killed them…actually more like he managed to hospitalize several and leave one crippled for life when he thought about it and considering how he did it made him sigh pleasantly, he also had to kill an American bigwig in the CIA for allowing Koko to do what she needed to do weeks later and had revenge kissing with Valmet who hunted him for months on end catching up with him before his untimely disappearance into the Phantom Task force, followed up by his small little created 'death'. All in all it was a memorable day, he couldn't wait to share that detail with his other copy when the dinner date came around the corner…which from his estimates would not be longer than a month or so, his preparations too were already in place with a private booking of the whole café down at the Reichenbach Falls, the best scenery to overlook high above the actual falls itself and the plane to escort his guest to the area after a day or two not to exclude the dosage that he intricately had placed in the box in the event someone took it.

The man's thoughts returned to Merle at that, and it brought his mood to a lower level of sour. The carbon copy, the fake, the one who deserved to die…he had begun to think of many names to call him besides imposter but then he shouldn't be wasting breath on the lookalike who brought quite a headache with him especially since the Phantom Task tried to eliminate Merle on the assumption that he was Amasa, a task he would have happily assisted had he not stabbed them in the back before he had left them like he did to Koko's crew. But then again his goals were to advance the Fundamentalists goals than anyone else's and if there was a thing as loyalty well Amasa thought, he would be the prime example of long-term allegiance since his pledge to assist them where his father and brother could not…the ambassador to control the German military forces who had advancements ahead of the European quarter, the formation of the music boxes and the virus implants to all new gen IS pilots around the globe, and his involvement in the infamous satellite crisis. In short Amasa was rather glad that he could have lived and be involved in such things, moving the world in the direction they wanted it to, the power to persuade and to take away those who dared to question and defy the natural order…since the IS' rise to power as the main dominant military might, Amasa too shared the feeling of being threatened, now they could bite back.

Merle was a threat to him, his identity, who represented everything he grew up with in the adverse way, and the sight and knowing what he was provoked many thoughts in him…firstly being the appearance. It was no accident that the two of them were meant to look like one another, however Amasa couldn't understand why he would arrive to this world or even begin to explain to any logical person how that could be someone like him. He read his books, the theories and the scriptures all together: no soul could be split and share bodies in different dimensions, that was Amasa's core belief when he first saw Merle through that sniper scope for the first time and to have someone like him running about and causing some ruin to the work that he put into going under the radar. Even now as he watched his so-called alternate self interacting and talking to the people around him, he could not help but feel envious especially when he noticed that whatever Merle planned to do was already in dreams he experienced near the end of his career with the Phantom Task, and the more he witnessed, the more he found that the visions were given purpose.

He would be the one to ruin this rising star in the end, the visions were acting as guidelines for him to plot and to scheme ahead in the game well before the other him could react in time, though the time of arrival proved too suspicious when his music box went missing. He had planned that music box especially for himself but it seemed too good to be true when Merle picked it up, just as the visions said he would and his thinking process proceeded from there branching out and taking flight into the plan he held a tight promise in his grip. "I will have you now."

"…mmmhh, Amasa?" The soft whisper of a female at the bed snapped Amasa out of his thoughts as he sat up from the couch immediately forgetting his snack and drink, dusting off some of the biscuit crumbs onto the carpet. Standing up Amasa addressed his sleepy guest who had gotten up, with one eyeball looking in his direction while a hand covered the other hidden beneath the fringe upon instinct, the man smiling thinly as he watched her groggily rise up drawing the covers over her body. "Slept well?"

"Mmm, good enough." The reply was enough for Amasa to burst out into a chuckle breaking his stoic expression as he moved to the bed plopping himself unto the bedside watching the woman lowered her hand letting the fringe hanging over the wound to cover it as she glanced at Amasa's face, his softened gaze on her while he spoke. "Good to hear, I was hoping you would considering we didn't really go too far compared to the last time we did this…you were way rougher then."

"We went at it for an hour which was already quite long, I think my stamina is just getting better with my vigorous training while yours was rather disappointing…not that I blame you, most girls would say their boyfriends lasted shorter." Valmet replied as a half-compliment ignoring the last comment regarding her softness towards him as she stretched allowing Amasa a glimpse of the muscled arms which had a tender touch, Amasa grinning at the memory as he folded his arms cheekily giving her a look as the soldier sighed feeling the tenseness in her body float away. "You surprised me, I didn't think you had any other talents apart from those I've seen on the ground but I guess you proved me wrong."

"Oh?" Amasa prompted as his genuine curiosity and a hint of male pride showed, the soldier throwing him a glance that told him, 'don't push it' before she threw off the covers letting Amasa take in the sight of her bared body bathed in light. Suffice to say Amasa could only appreciate the sight but despite his own instincts banging against his common sense to go for another round, the lack of feeling in his lower region told him that it was already a bad idea to do so instead Amasa kept silent appreciating the contours he had managed to touch only a few hours ago wistfully imagining his fingers tracing the skin again paying no attention to Valmet picking up her discarded clothing. Valmet was about to put on her bra first before Amasa walked over to the wardrobe, opening it to skim a hand through the various hangers eventually settling in on a casual wear consisting of a simple tank top and jeans. Tossing it to Valmet, the soldier accepted the change of clothing as she walked into the bathroom considering a prospect of a shower now that Amasa given the set to her, closing the door behind her while Amasa proceeded to stash her clothing in a large paper shopping bag he had kept after purchasing a set of clothes for his long stay, it didn't take less than ten minutes before Valmet exited wiping her hair with a towel while dressed in the dark red tank top and black jeans which suited her waist.

"Thank you."

"No problem," Amasa replied aware of the awkward feeling between them before Valmet broke the silence first, the gnawing question she had on the forefront of her brain just demanding to be asked as she opened her mouth though a little hesitantly. "So…"

"So?"

"I hear you will be dealing with a personal issue here." Valmet started, her own tongue holding her back from speaking further as Amasa nodded in confirmation at her words replying almost nonchalantly. "If that was what Koko told you then it should be about right, I trust her to not blow up the story exponentially with her usual exaggerations. Goodness knows how long I had to put up with it…but that was her winning personality for you, always like some princess who could be ruthless and kiddy at the same time. I always called her a neat balance." He said as he put a finger to his lip in wonder before he nodded at that, Valmet keeping silent before she decided to ask what was on her mind before her courage left her to hesitance.

"Amasa…" She began before Amasa spoke passively towards her, a questioning gaze on his face as well. "Do you even need to ask why? I would wonder why you and Koko haven't killed me yet for what I've done to you in return…or did you not remember?"

"You killed half of the team, murdered Minami and managed to turn a few local warlords onto our trail in the desert at the same time…trust me when I say that the remaining members hold a lot of grudges against you for it, and me as well for the months after that day." Valmet stated harshly as Amasa raised a brow at that, his memories recalling the shellshock faces of Minami as he shot her two bodyguards and knocked out Karen before killing her personally at the control center, Amasa saying nothing as he sat on the bed. "I was the reason that from this situation freed Koko from her father, plus she got to keep Jonah as incentive…everyone was happy. Jonah was just lucky he didn't join the many child soldiers I've helped send to their deaths of free will, and he certainly wouldn't be the last one to die off if I did…but it would have made Koko mad. That's the only reason she has for letting me live despite me causing her best friend's death and the damage I've done."

"After all that, and you can still mention it so casually?" Valmet's words held the venom however her anger at him for his actions then were tempered since his explanation as to why. When he had first revealed to Koko that he was indeed acting on the orders of someone else, he had already taken out Koko's friend and wounded several more with one death in the room. Soon after he had signaled to the rest of the small task force of warlords who were manipulated by his group to find and surround them, resulting in more injuries and a few deaths on his hands after which Valmet had vowed to catch him outright and make him pay for their losses. Month after month of her chasing ghosts and paper trails led to him eventually, the woman had him down at gunpoint demanding that he be repaid the favor of killing off her teammates and her family.

The woman had known them for years, she could still remember the quirks such as Lem the veteran talking about his ex-wife and being the grown up father to come for some advise or even Jonah's silent personality as well as his bad grasp of the mathematics, the skill by which had gone up significantly since the incident and Wiley who would constantly scare the group with his unhealthy explosions to certain problems of his and not to forget Lutz who was the only member with bad luck for being hit in his balls almost every gunfight gone down. Of the four, Lutz was paralyzed in an arm while Lehm was sent to a coma alongside Wiley who had internal injuries while Amasa himself had spared Jonah by shooting him in the thighs for his quick running, making the team effectively indisposed just as Koko fell into a period of shock unable to be reached for months.

So naturally she wanted what Koko would have wanted (so she assumed), blood.

"If I recall, you hunted me to every corner of the world seeking vengeance while I've been doing the world favors by killing off your group no matter how incomplete the job was. When you cornered me then, I told you that she dreamt well but chose the wrong way to do it. You and Koko can argue with me, but I stood by my decision to do so." Amasa reminded the soldier as he sensed the tension grow in the room, Valmet recalling their bitter reunion holding Amasa at gunpoint over a cliff all the while planning the many ways to kill him slowly before he talked to her. The meeting didn't change anything, they left on less amicable terms after he launched himself off the cliff and it took another couple of months before he could then locate and speak to Koko properly about why he did it. Valmet didn't dwell on it, instead sighing as she looked at Amasa who didn't return her gaze instead looking out of the window at the beautiful German cityscape, a unity of both old and new architecture blended into a colorful mix.

"Koko chose the short term, and a flawed problem that resulted in a near disaster onto a country. She already fed people bullets and outfitted them with guns effectively helping the steamrolling of violence claiming not to touch a single gun to fire onto someone, she could have broken slowly and refuse but out of finances and resources needed to continue a work she was effectively aware opposed her own beliefs. If she were to be means to the goal, she was a bad example. It's just that no one else or even she herself bothered by turning to one another for help, yet who could blame her? She just did it so her dad wouldn't be able to continue the business that caused misery within her family, and accepted losses I couldn't take in stride," Amasa explained as he leaned back on the bed his eyes closed. "There is a difference between winning by quitting, and losing by taking more lives to achieve a temporary solution that seemed wonderful at the time, inevitably going down the same path as more people stray. She in the end had to be taught reality from the dream just like you had to be."

"That sounded religious."

"I took classes in school, and violence of any kind whether for good intentions is bad either way, because people never remember the good, they see the bad it brings along with it and judge accordingly, but then the world is going to that point where killing is always justified for good. Also, Koko even with Jonah would already become another monster behind the supposed shackle on her sanity…her actions spoke loudly in volumes." Amasa said in finality as he stood up, patting his legs as Valmet took her handbag going to the door followed by Amasa who trailed behind her the conversation leaving a big gap in any other communication. Exiting into the hallway, Amasa looked at the soldier with a wry smile as he indicated his head towards the elevator.

"You do know this will be the last time you'll see me, right?" A quiet glance at him said it all as Amasa tore himself from her view at the door, his eyes going to Valmet as his eyes lit up in amusement. "Funny, that I would be doing the same thing Koko did all those years ago…people like me, do deserve their end. Good day, Valmet." The door closed behind him, leaving Valmet to stand motionless even when she heard a series of strange noises and the sound of wind bursting into the room meaning he had taken his exit out of the building, the soldier staring at the door for only a couple of seconds before she opened it to see the wide open balcony windows and fluttering curtains devoid of life the soldier breathing sharply holding back the sadness in her tone as she addressed the empty air.

"Goodbye, Amasa..."

* * *

><p>With Charlotte and Houki<p>

"I love him, Charlotte." The sudden declaration passed by Charlotte who blinked twice at Houki who was breathing a little harder from letting the words tumble out of her mouth, the French girl observing how Houki was staring directly at her but it wasn't the usual glare or the jealous stare that Charlotte was used to whenever she or any other girl hung around with Ichika. Charlotte simply nodded dumbly, her reaction was one of surprise and confusion unable to say much as she let her lips do the talking for her, the question of her statement left hanging in her mind. "Uh-huh."

Houki seemed to take it rather seriously, her head tearing away with a loud groan as she splashed some chlorine water in her face out of embarrassment her cheeks flushing red like a rose hitting the water with a hand. "Charlotte, don't stand there helplessly and confused like that, say something! I-ugh…"

"Uh, I do as well..." Charlotte said simply as Houki squirmed. "O-Of course I knew that, I was just saying it out loud to you!"

"E-Eh…" Charlotte could say nothing as her face was still confused by her reasons before Houki looked up at the glass ceiling her tense embarrassed expression gave way to a weary sight, the girl closing her eyes in contemplation as she opened them again a thin frown on her face while Charlotte watched uncertainly before she heard Houki whisper into the air like it was her companion. "It seems I still can't say it outright without even feeling the least sense of confidence at all, even without Ichika to say so no less."

"Houki-san…what was that all about?" Charlotte asked with genuine concern for the Japanese girl watching as Houki used her hand to push a wave of water to the opposite side. Despite her own awareness that Houki was a rival in terms of affection for Ichika's attention among the other girls laying some sort of claim to him, Charlotte had always seen the other girls as girls rather than a lovestruck rival of affection who would push at each other until one fell off the cliff and being like that earned her a friendship with the otherwise anti-social Laura whose display of ruthlessness due to her training had scared her classmates from interacting with her, Houki herself wasn't an exception to the rule. The same couldn't be really said for Cecilia and Lin who were both stubborn and very focused on their goal rather than simply befriending rivals outside of the affection race, however it was rather ironic that both girls actually got along with each other and put up with one another casting aside the insults.

By the time she had tried to discern what Houki's intentions were, the girl faced Charlotte with a somewhat distraught feeling. "Charlotte, remember what Chifuyu said when we were at the hotel just before the Gospel incident? That time when we were left with her after the introduction to my personal IS?" Charlotte nodded, how could she forget that? It was the first time she with several other girls met with one of the most important figures who was behind the creation of the IS and the reason why the world changed drastically in such a short period of time, Charlotte was still unable to get over the fact that Houki was in fact the sister of Tabane Shinonono who was extremely unlike her sister in both features and personality, with one being a lot more serious than the other. Houki saw her nod as she continued to speak her fingers in a tent as she tapped the water's surface, her eyes not leaving the swirling bubbles rising to the surface, "I remember the day she cornered all of us about our own feelings towards her brother and the words she spoke seem to not leave my mind."

"What do you mean by that, Houki-san?" Charlotte asked curiously as Houki clenched her hands under the water splashing a weak tide of water.

* * *

><p>Flashback<p>

"_Why do you pursue my brother for?" Chifuyu's voice questioned with a slight edge in her tone towards the group of girls while Tabane and her assistant teacher had followed suit, the girls keeping silent while Chifuyu gave a sidelong glance at Houki in particular before she continued. "While it is good and all that you've found someone that you're comfortable with and is naturally good-hearted, I on the other hand am on the side of caution since my brother isn't the sharpest of wit when it comes to women."_

"_So let me ask you, why should I let you pursue Ichika's affections?" Chifuyu asked as all the girls kept silent in thought, the older Orimura staring in slight disbelief but also a sense of her suspicions being confirmed unfolded in front of her as she rubbed her forehead. "Aren't you supposed to say something at least?"_

_Houki felt her throat run dry, the girl was about to speak the words but no sound could make its way to the bubbling surface her attention to the other girls' thoughts were muted. Chifuyu waited for a moment before she decided to move onto the next question, her doubts in their genuine interest in Ichika was beginning to surface in her words as she was torn between their sincerity or their simple interest. "Why do you even want to have Ichika anyway, what have you done for him besides glances and getting him to spend time with you? There is so much before I would start asking a lot of questions."_

"_I-Ichika is my childhood friend, he was kind and we spent a lot of time. And he had a promise to keep with me so…" Rin said as Chifuyu countered her statement with a huff in anticipation to her statement. "Houki was his childhood friend and he was genuinely too innocent, don't you think that promise he did had another meaning to it than the one you imagined in your mind? Did you consider after all those years that perhaps he might not have known what it meant?" Seeing Rin fall silent from her statement in thought, Chifuyu considered the argument a win in her favor before Laura spoke up next her internal debate was overshadowed by her upmost confidence as she gathered courage to speak in a sharp tone._

"_Chifuyu-sama I-"_

"_Who gave you the right to call my brother an item of yours than a human being? You clung to him because he saved you once, that is natural but I cannot write that off as a instant love because of the setting." Chifuyu mercilessly shot down the tank-bred soldier who then let out a depressed 'yes, Chifuyu-sama' while turning to Cecilia who was about to make her own statement as she waved a finger at her. "Oh no, Alcott don't you start to talk about my brother. I have watched you clamor after his ability only as a pilot in action and nothing else, can you explain yourself if there were any other reason that attracted you to him?"_

"_U-Uh…I…" Cecilia weakly said as Charlotte kept quiet, her own thoughts were cut off by Chifuyu who didn't spare the French pilot as well, her voice softening to a calmed tone after her outburst at the English noblewoman her attention turning to Charlotte who noticed she was being watched. "What about you, Dunois? You are keeping quiet about your own reasons, so why are you after my brother? Are you following your father, or him?" _

_When looking at Charlotte, Chifuyu couldn't really understand why Merle openly declared her as a possible match for Ichika besides Houki when she first saw the girl. She figured out through the disguise despite the Dunois corporation's attempts to cover up all evidence that Charlotte was really a girl, the Orimura honestly didn't care whatever gender that Charlotte decided to use to enter the academy but she was wary only about what the purpose of Charlotte's father wanted who was part of the French team of scientists attempting to reclaim some kind of lost glory against the bigger players in the IS business, which in short to Chifuyu meant political grabbers for Ichika's potential as a male pilot. Ever since she came out with the truth to Ichika and his determination to help Charlotte through the pressures of the corporation was admirable, but Chifuyu wasn't convinced._

"_So what are your intentions towards Ichika? Are you truly infatuated or would this be a ploy to steal him from me?" Chifuyu saw Charlotte visibly tense at that, the reasons behind Chifuyu's question were to test the woman's reaction and gauge the reaction's emotions to be true or not. Charlotte clenched both teeth and fists as she stared up at Chifuyu with a darkened expression as she literally hissed out the words alongside it the look not scaring Chifuyu who had been a veteran pilot and seen worse while the other girls were taken aback by her dark response. _

"_I will never let Ichika be taken apart like that. Even if I am just a person without much authority in the Dunois Corporation I will rather fight them than give Ichika to be picked at like meat." The woman declared sharply as Chifuyu hid some of her bemusement at Merle's own words regarding the French girl ringing in her mind when she asked privately why he would let Charlotte in aside from Houki. _

"_She's a kind and gentle person with humanity huh…Merle, sometimes you are just like that." Chifuyu muttered as she hid her smile turning to Houki who was the last of the group, the Japanese girl squirming as all eyes went to her Houki feeling anxious and worried being put on the spot like this in front of an audience. Fighting down her urge to shut down, the girl barely managed to speak in the usual serious tone that she had as she stuttered in her speech, looking down at the ground kicking a small rock._

"_I…I believe that…Ichika is…he was there for me when it mattered." She timidly replied as Chifuyu silently took that into consideration before she addressed Houki altogether a frown etched on her face. "Houki your competitive nature pushed many people away, had you not been a child I would have found distaste of your use of force. You were just lucky that Ichika continued to see you out of his kindness. But are you truly in love because you were pining for him, or were you just seeking friendship to soothe your loneliness?" Seeing her shrink from the woman, Chifuyu turned to the others addressing all of them with the sternest expression she could muster aside from her 'teacher mode'._

"_The reason why I did this was because I want you to know that as Ichika's brother, I do care for his wellbeing not out of family duty but because I do care. I have been watching you, and to be honest I am dissatisfied that my brother has to stay with some who do not really have a reason to say about him aside from his personality. Have you really looked behind the smiles and goofiness to seriously consider whether you are serious or just teasing him for your enjoyment?" Leaving the matter, Chifuyu walked off her arms folded tightly against her chest before she turned to the girls behind her with a final word and a protective tone regarding Ichika._

"_Think carefully on how to proceed with this competition of yours, for if you don't treat my brother with the respect that he deserves…I will make sure Ichika never sees or be hurt by you again." Saying that, Chifuyu turned on her heel and left, leaving the girls to deflate over their chances at getting to Ichika for the moment._

* * *

><p>Present<p>

"So what would be the issue?"

"Chifuyu simply doesn't want us to be near him, it's like she doesn't approve of us at all. You heard her at the beach, it was like she never wanted anyone to get close to her brother." Houki spoke sadly recalling the stern challenge that Chifuyu took up against the group back then, her eyes glaring holes into every one of them as Charlotte let out an involuntary shiver at the memory of her scrutinizing gaze. If there was one other thing that could scare or frighten her it would probably not compare to Chifuyu's looks of disappointment and stern anger, the woman certainly had a way of persuasion.

"I think she was measuring us up like how parents would do to a boyfriend, she was looking into our qualities and what we personally think about her brother. We have, after all been crowding around him and haven't been subtle with our desires." Charlotte replied, she had been one to take things into perspective and her understanding nature made her the first to accept Chifuyu's statement of protection while the other girls were caught up in their personal thoughts of their actions the past few months.

"Ichika has always been there for us, yet when I think about it Chifuyu seemed to be on to something. I have been dragging him around for some time, and all Chifuyu has seen of me comes off as a woman just being demanding, like a spoiled brat asking for a toy his parents can't afford. I just think that perhaps I am still not changing fast enough, maybe Ichika would become hesitant and think of me as a nuisance…" Houki wanted to say more but she stopped herself from her self-depreciating rant, Charlotte looking at the normally confident woman and remembered the day at the rocky space where she showed a period of weakness like that towards Chifuyu, the French pilot moving toward Houki as she placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Houki, I cannot say for certain what you think or how you came to feel this way, but maybe you aren't confident or are trying to find a reason because you are afraid of rejection for the first time." Seeing Houki's eyes rise to see Charlotte the girl twirled her blonde hair as her purple eyes looked into the distance trying to sort out the best words to use for the situation. "Houki you said to me once that you didn't really have friends back in your time due to your competitive streak and how boys and girls didn't see you belonging to either group, yet with Ichika…he was the one who you said stayed with you, and not many of the girls can claim it like that. Your circumstances made you a lot more unique than our reasons, which are probably why you never got anything from Chifuyu back then?" Charlotte suggested as Houki snapped out of her distant look feeling the sunlight burning her vision as she hung her head dunking the front of her hair in the water.

"But she asked if my loneliness..."

"You were a child at the time, you wouldn't be aware of your own problems unless someone told you but even then...it can fall on deaf ears." Charlotte advised as she kept up her smile, Houki pausing in her counter-argument before a glimmer of hope in her eyes met the Dunois' purple orbs.

"…You think that, Charlotte? Aren't you a rival? Why are you doing this for me?" Houki questioned as she looked at Charlotte who was comforting her, her own thoughts and brain wondering why would a rival in love for Ichika suddenly become so caring and attentive to her issue or why she even divulged it to her in the first place. Charlotte stunned her by tilting her head in wonder, her confusion in the purple orbs were genuine as she hummed in thought before she spoke.

"Maybe, it all boils down to what you think of me, and whether my words do help you. Just because we are rivals doesn't mean I will abandon my friends to self-misery, Ichika was there for me even when I was supposed to spy on him, why wouldn't you think the same of me?" Charlotte reasoned as Houki found no words to say as she stared at the French girl who had suddenly came out of left field and tried to assure her of her problem. During her childhood in due part to her natural tendency for violence, Houki had been isolated from her friends and school despite her parents at home to tell her to stay strong…Houki had kept to that advice too tightly as Merle helped her realize that her so-called strength was forcing people away from her rather than keeping them with her. There were times now that she wondered what if it had been different, had Merle not dropped into their lives or where her role would be now in such a situation? Would she eventually push Ichika away of her own accord due to his 'weakness' or would Ichika instead be the one to throw his hands and wash it off her? The thoughts like that frightened her and it gave her harsh regrets…yet having Charlotte here, a rival to tell her that it was possible she was just imagining the rejection like she was back then, and her fears kept her from saying more.

But yet as she did think that, she felt a glimmer of hope with Charlotte's words. Merle had dragged her out, didn't he? He taught her that being with someone meant more than simply a headstrong girl like her parents told her to be, but instead to be less like that and sharpen her perception and dull her bluntness. Had he not rescued her, she would have repeated the same thing over and over, and perhaps Ichika leaving her might have become a slow reality or one behind her back and she would be alone.

Turning to Charlotte, the French girl saw Houki brighten in her expression as she gave a genuine smile to her. "Thank you, Charlotte."

"Isn't that what a friend does?" Charlotte asked, throwing Houki off guard with that remark before she recovered with a smile of her own in thanks at the French girl.

"I…am glad to have you as a friend." Charlotte gave a giggle as she leaned back onto the tiled wall relaxing in the pool.

"Me too."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile with Merle and Chifuyu<p>

"Why are you smiling like that, Merle?"

"Huh? Oh, I'm not sure…but suddenly I feel elated for someone maturing in personality and joy."

"Are you always this weird?" Chifuyu asked as she walked away into the game store, leaving Merle behind while he found the urge to grin again before he entered the store but just as he muttered a sentence into the sky above.

"Whoever you are out there, I'm glad you found more of yourself."

End

* * *

><p>Author's notes: Well guys I hoped this answered some questions lingering.<p>

The first thing I wanted to make certain was that Amasa is a different villain not just because he is aware that he causes harm for a bigger cause, but that he acknowledges that it is evil while on the other hand we saw him with Merle as playing the role of antagonist who saw him as a nuisance and an obstacle for things to go back to normal, then becoming manipulative. What I wanted him to do was to represent some part of humanity that is manipulative, destructive, and perhaps due to circumstances it was what made him…but do note that in spite of him killing his father who belonged to a group who were manipulators of worser crimes he still wanted to throw in with them. Sometimes you join the side that is wrong because you don't see anything wrong with joining, sure your family member being an abusive arse would change your opinion but when you recognize the two words necessary evil, normal behavior would be to keep it.

Amasa is like the foil, he is a physical symbol who is like Merle similar in body but not mind and importantly soul. The reason why I said they were the same in earlier chapters was that the idea of a person in an alternate world didn't have to be a person who was you. He had similar circumstances that forced him to become who he is, Merle was another soul who chose a possibility to his ending. That and my idea was rather constricted and hadn't developed the idea at the time which was why I simply said yes he is Merle and like him, it took me the hiatus to see that.

If that makes sense to you, hopefully it does.

As for the asskicking that Chifuyu was handing out to the girls, that was my intention to bring such faults to light rather than the episode saying 'screw it, I'll do it this way for harem fun'. No, I cannot really accept that and I decided to break each character's motivations down now I know it is rather different this time cause it became harem turned possible triangle now, but for good reason. When I thought about it, Cecilia wasn't a person who was motivated out of anything besides strength, she was the passive Esdeath and it wasn't in depth for me…Rin was a second hand best friend who forced the marriage proposal without any thought of him, which was something I disliked in anime nowadays. And who would like irrational women? Not me, oh no.

Laura was doing it out of a savior complex I believe, you save them, you get someone who devotes their life in extreme circumstances. She also may be cute, but the fact is the context I found was that it was more of a ownership rather than a genuine relationship, the reason why she had that moment with Ichika back at the Gospel arc was because this could be seen as friendship/crush and can go either way. As for Charlotte I think that she and Houki for this fic would be the two best options, first is that Charlotte was the comforter rather than the instigator of violence and is rarely seen to be angered yet….meanwhile Houki was a bit different because I believed that she would be isolated with her anger issues, and drive her to some measure of loneliness. Who would want to work with a volcano blowing in the distance near you?

Well that is enough of my explanations, hopefully that does answer your questions as to some issues or perhaps thoughts you may have kept about the fanfic. To be honest I feel this might be one of the deeper chapters I have written as the canon chapters do have me feeling a bit dumber and the anime made me have a worser headache from watching. The arc will continue in the next chapter.

Have a great day,

VI


	34. New Term, Enroaching Secrets

IS Valkyrie

Author's notes:

MY God, I finally did it! One chapter full of something that I made, I finally did it! The show is going to go on, going to survive...oh the joys of being free from writer's block and months of wondering what the hell this story is going to do next! Oh joy of joys it is done!

Welcome readers to the newest chapter that I have written. Before I go on with it I want to thank the viewers and those who have favorite and followed or simply browsed through the chapters, the reviewers who pointed out mistakes and possible suggestions for me.

This is the skip ahead to the start of the second season in the anime series, where the last chapter ended up. The timeskip was due to the fact that I wanted this to be in convenient timing with what is to come next.

IS Academy

The holidays had come and gone since that day, the academy had reopened with students trickling back into school their white uniforms shining through the light. The thing about this particular academy however was the fact that out of the sea of girls who made up the entirety of the student body, one person with blue hair clutching his bag nervously stood out of the bunch, his eyebrows twitching with every step.

"…Hey, Merle-san," he finally spoke as the man beside him turned to smile brightly at him. "Yeah, Ichika-kun was there something that you wanted to tell me?"

Ichika gave him a glare as he lifted up a luggage bag hanging from the grip of his left hand while glaring at the substitute teacher who was continuing to smile brightly at him. "Why am I even carrying your luggage? What am I, a bell boy in a hotel?" Merle clicked his tongue as he gave a look of mock annoyance towards Ichika's complaint enjoying the glare at him, the man wagged a finger in front of ichika's face the finger invading the boy's personal space while he smirked cheekily.

"Technically it was Chifuyu's luggage and because she is busy for the day, I had to bring it along and you happened to wake up the same time I did so I figured that you could just-"

"That's bull and you know it, Merle-sensei!" Ichika protested as he shoved the luggage into Merle's arms, the man laughing as he accepted the luggage grinning, the man giving in to Ichika as he saw the boy about to explode with him with a hand in between them. "Okay, okay I'll take the baggage for you since Chifuyu did charge me with the responsibility in the first place anyways so you can go out there and enjoy your youthful life in earnest Ichika!"

"Merle-san, it's not like that with any of the girls." Ichika whispered as the two were attempting to avoid being separated by the sea of students eager to start their day many of them carrying items for the week while Merle moved to the side allowing a line of girls to pass them before Merle responded with a wave of dismissal. "Right, those girls just want to be your best friends…come on, one of them shows undying loyalty to her wife and who can blame her since you saved her life."

"I'm not a wife."

"Really, my friends would mistake you for one because of all the cooking you do, excel at it and you can become the Master Chef of Japan."

"That makes you a girl too," Ichika retorted as Merle looked at him blinking. "Huh when you mention it, touché Ichika. Looks like all that time spent with me got you somewhere huh?"

The holidays had changed the two over the course of the day, while Ichika had kept his usual appearance Merle had changed his style of dress since Chifuyu dragged him by the ear to the mall buying him a couple of formal 'teacher' wear so she called it, Merle had initially protested with his current style however Chifuyu had given him the death glare…which meant he would lose either way. So now he was forced to wear a stuffy formal black pants and white shirt with an orange tie, the clothing causing him to itch a little as he scratched at the skin on his neck tugging at the tie which clung like a snake coiling around its prey, the man constantly weaving his head side to side while Ichika looked at the massive school grounds in muted awe. "I still can't believe that the holidays are already over, and we have a massive festival for the public later in the week…*sigh*."

"Cheer up, Ichika…you're going to be the main attraction there where all the girls get one chance to pet the heck out of you it'll be fun! Just think positive, so many types and you can decide which one appeals to you more…like a loli, or a girl with bad temper and can play master and servant as long as you like-"

"No way! If there is even an indication of a boy petting display I am not getting inside!" Ichika protested giving a smile to Merle's face while the both of them entered the large courtyard leading to the dorms, though as they both approached the gate they noticed someone else standing close to the edge of the gate with a crowd of girls clamoring around the woman with figurative glitters being present from their auras. "Well, look who has her fan club cornering her again."

"Eh, Merle-san, aren't you going to chase them away? I mean you both are dating…"

"What, leave the big badass teacher and champion pilot to the mercy of innocent juniors who can't even fight back? I'm appalled at your lack of trust in your big ol' sis, Ichika-kun!" Merle said as the two of them tried to bypass the gate, only for a single hand to sink into Merle's left shoulder causing him to nearly drop the suitcase in strained agony.

"Ho? And where do you think you're going, Merle…sen-sei?" A very stern voice went to his ears as Merle immediately felt shivers, his eyes twitching while Ichika noticed that he was not beside him turning around to see Merle having his shoulder clamped still by an ominous dark presence pushing past the fangirls, Merle looking at the teenager with a pleading look in his eyes before Ichika nodded in understanding of the vexing and dangerous situation that Merle was communicating in his eyes…

And walked away from the scene as quickly as he could dispensing himself within the thick crowd of female students, leaving Merle speechless before the voice rang in his left ear the tone was soft yet disguising all the sternness within. "Merle-san…when I told you to wear that uniform properly, I did mention to you specifically not to mess your tie didn't I?" Merle immediately gave a weak 'eep' as he felt the fingers digging into his skin forcing him to turn his body slightly thirty degrees while he feebly resisted turning his head around putting on the best innocent fact that he could afford to spare now.

"Y-Yes…?"

"So why is it messy…**Merle-cha~n?**" The voice whispered as Merle felt the talons sink deeper, the only thought as he looked out at the crowd was directed at a certain brother to a certain sister who held his life in the palm of her hand. Seeing Ichika turn around to give a look of apology stating he wasn't about to stick his neck out the man gave him a death glare for not intervening as he felt the force of something tugging him back against his will.

_Darn you…Ichika…_

Hours later

"Alright dismissed," Chifuyu announced to the class as the chorus of voices thanked their mentors before bursting into a roar of chatting, Ichika watching the three teachers make their exit before Houki got up from her desk beside him, the boy observing the girls around him in the classroom still chatting while stealing not so subtle glances at his direction as Ichika immediately turned his head away feeling the familiar bashfulness around the girls now that he wasn't distracted by the lessons which he had slowly began to absorb as he came back refreshed from the term break the boy sighing as he exited the classroom closing the door behind him half-expecting eyes to be on him as he walked towards his dormitory room. Even with more than six months in his back he couldn't really get used to the fact that here he was, standing and walking and studying in the very academy that for the longest time was long thought to be the symbolic empowerment of women as the revolutionaries of warfare and defense over tons of countless men and women losing their lives in senseless wars, Ichika recalling the lesson earlier which had been taught as a review from the last term lectures.

The world had indeed changed since Tabane's 'discovery' of the IS, wars were now dwindling as he heard stories of blood-soaked fields of undeveloped militaries blown apart by the power of a single pilot with an IS suit pulverizing their way past the frontlines to victory and competitions of the IS pilots were like a show of strength and displayed the research development of a country for the limited pilots that they had. Ichika almost felt lucky, or cursed either way as he walked past the girls towards his room on the other block.

"Ichika-kun! Oi!"

"Eh, was that Rin?" Ichika wondered aloud as he turned his back seeing Lin run up towards him with a bright smile on her face the Chinese pilot skidding to a halt just as she gestured towards the cafeteria her hands behind her back. "Yo, I wanted to ask if you were going to dinner now I was hoping to get some time to talk since the holidays."

"Huh, sure I don't mind." Ichika answered as he saw Lin's smile stretch upwards considerably though Ichika still couldn't determine the cause of this change in her suppressed attitude just then when she was inviting him over, the two walking down the hallway and into the cafeteria. Entering the area Ichika could not see anyone else that he knew were sitting around even Cecilia who would normally be waiting for him almost everyday without fail as missing from her usual camping ground, the boy letting out a held breath that he wasn't aware of while Rin wasn't too aware of it or simply ignored that fact as she glided towards the small queue gesturing for him to do the same.

"_Guess that rest can wait…"_ Ichika thought to himself as he patted his stomach which was half-full from the small snack that he gave himself for the day at lunchtime, joining his second childhood friend at the table where they would usually hang about as both of them began to dig into the meal the silence that followed with the sound of suppressed consumption began to stale the air above. As Ichika ate his noodles he could tell that he was beginning to suppress his slurping as much as he could while Rin was chewing the fried rice she had in a slow practiced motion, looking as if she were under surveillance with her head ducked a little lower than her usual energetic self. After fifteen minutes of trying to eat Ichika placed his chopsticks to the top of the bowl the small clink making the girl opposite him react almost jarringly towards his small action, the boy clearing his throat with a forced cough to get her attention.

"Hey, Rin I wanted to ask you something. Is there something going on with you today? You seem more suppressed," Ichika asked innocently as Rin almost choked on her noodles letting out a cough as she reached for the glass of water on the tray and gulped it down before she slammed it on the table.

"Gah! Ichika! I wasn't prepared for you yet!" She yelled while Ichika felt his mind argue internally against her as the two of them stared at one another before Rin fell silent looking away from him. "Well, I was thinking about something."

"What about?"

"H-Huh?! That's…t-that's none of your business Ichika, learn some manners before you even start asking such sensitive questions!" Rin retorted weakly while Ichika just looked at her as if she was stupid (wrong as well added to that list) Ichika deciding not to even voice his opinion as Rin roughly ate some of her food taking larger servings leaving Ichika to ponder what she was even thinking before she stopped, placing her spoon in the bowl as she stared offhandedly into the window which oversaw the gardens of the academy the Chinese girl twirling her hair. "Hey Ichika…I want to ask you something important that's been on my mind for a while."

"Ok, what is it?" Ichika asked as he took a slurp of his noodles, Rin having a nostalgic twinkle in her eye when she eyed the bowl wondering how she was going to go about it. Since the talk with Chifuyu at the beach during the school trip that time she was caught up in the wake of the Silver Gospel and several other activities and opportunities to spend time with Ichika to care about what had been said and done, and since she had the time to finally rest and think about it there was something that was sticking out in the forefront of all her self-questioning. Chifuyu had singled her out as well with the declaration that her chase for an easily forgotten promise meaning almost nothing to the dense fortress of sense known as Ichika Orimura was altogether a wasted effort, and the more time after Silver Gospel where she could spend time with her remaining parent in the emptier home since the divorce back in China about Chifuyu's criticism the more she felt as though she was dreaming about her relationship with Ichika. From there so many instances came to mind, the match she recklessly started to punish him, the various times she tried to actively pursue him...all of it came to a single thought.

After all this time, how much time did she really actually got to spend with Ichika Orimura? Not simply being around him or trying to dig up the past unlike now, but whether all this time she had actually pursued the chance to get Ichika to herself in a long time since they met earlier in the year? The more she recalled, the more obvious the answer of neglect that had been over her head like a storm cloud gathering itself for the inevitable fact that she had to acknowledge...in her reckless thought of pursuing a relationship and pushing him away, she had become distant from him and she didn't want that. As she watched Ichika continue to sip his bowl of miso, and noticing how there wasn't anyone around (even Cecilia who would have been ready to butt almost instantly had she been nearby), Rin felt like this game of insinuation should end.

"Ichika, do you actually remember that promise we made all that long ago? You know, before I left for China with my family where I asked if I were a good cook, good enough to run the restaurant you would eat my dishes forever?" Ichika stopped his meal the boy nodding as he took a sip of the soup placing the bowl down a few seconds later while Rin's cheeks suddenly went red the girl fidgeting as she looked at the table keeping her breathing in check. "S-So…I wanted to ask, w-what did that mean to you? And I want your honest opinion about it."

"Mean to me? Hmm, I did say that I figured you were going to start a restaurant and invite me over like how we used to and we could hang out just like old times I suppose," Ichika spoke while Rin's eyes darkened the girl clenching fists while she mentally pounded the surface of the table. _Die, just die right now you stupid baka! How on earth did I even think that he would be so smart to figure out what that promise even meant for me when we were children? _"W-Well there's that and-uh," Rin rapped her fingers on the table as she tried to gather her courage fighting her flushed expression and her stammering, the girl eventually speaking. "I want to know, have you ever thought that it could mean something…deeper?"

"Hmm, something more…why are you wondering about that?" Ichika asked as he felt curious to what Rin was getting at as he couldn't figure out what she meant, Rin giving him a narrow glare. "Because it is important to me, so why don't you just think about it…that promise we made, does it mean anything to you? And I want the answer to be serious too, damnit!" Rin slammed her hand on the table making Ichika jump as he put out his hands half expecting some form of violence tailored towards him while his mind went into gear. _The promise of trying out her food, is she testing me? But for what reason is that so important?_

"Well…" he started to say before his eyes found Rin staring at him hard while leaning over the table staring into his soul with her piercing glare, daring him to speak up as he fidgeted with his thumb. "I…of course it is important that I hold it to my heart! You're my second childhood friend, I wouldn't make such a rash promise without knowing what I was going into!" He admitted firmly as Rin looked at him scrutinizing his answer with obvious doubt while Ichika noticed her downward frown.

"Of course it does! You're my childhood friend-"

"Second. Childhood friend." She coldly corrected as Ichika shivered. _She wasn't talking about that, then what did she mean by it having more meaning to me than just tasting her food? Don't tell me that she thought that I would have taken advantage of her kindness to rip her off! But that's just ridiculous, there's no way she would see me like that, right?_

"Ichika, tell me…are you sure you're an Orimura?"

"H-Hah?!" That was not what he expected, the boy's mouth opening and closing while Rin leaned back sighing in melancholy at the dumbstruck look on his face the girl letting out a puff of air. "God, Ichika it's been years and all this time since you've been running around doing all these kind things you sure don't even know the results of what your actions have on people. I mean, Chifuyu is so much sharper and able to distinguish details better than you who just look all slackjawed without a brain cell to rub together how you two even call yourselves siblings or even part of the same family is stupid." Rin jabbed as she watched Ichika grow even more confused by her words, the Orimura scratching his head.

"Eh? But that promise was that you would treat me to a meal made by you right?"

"No, you dumbass why can't you just-urgh! It's so embarrassing to say it out loud to you, especially in public where our feelings can be made known," Rin said as she pushed herself from her seat grabbing her tray while she glared downwards at the stunned Ichika, placing a hand on her hip as she pointed towards the exit of the cafeteria not bothering to hide her anger towards his dense logic. "Ok then, if your character is going to be hard there is one more way…"

"What are you even talking about Rin?" Ichika asked as his innocent mind seemingly forming a shield around him to block out the various interpretations of the previous conversation as Rin growled impatiently lost in her own mind as she grabbed Ichika and leaned her face inches from his grinding her teeth. "Ichika-kun shut up and come with me to the roof."

"E-Eh?!"

School roof, evening

"What man strength, I felt my vision fading in and out of consciousness." Merle commented as he rubbed his neck, the tie still constricting as ever against his throat while he relaxed on the bench of the large school roof the sight of the monorail train system and its tracks in the distance under the landscape of the modernized city.

"That's your own fault for trying to mess with your tie Merle-chan."

"When are you going to stop saying that in public? It's very embarrassing you know," Merle said as he felt his cheeks redden while a low chuckle from the person before a pair of arms encircled his neck, Merle flinching as his skin reacted to the breath of the speaker followed by the breath leaving his side a hand stroking his hair. "So, does that bother you one bit now…Merle-chan?"

"No, you just know which switch to flick for me." Merle said as he looked upwards leaning back staring at short dark messy hair while a simple tail clipped to the back stood out like a slightly open fan, dark eyes watching him with passion the fingers a little rough though mostly soft from the lack of piloting smoothly gliding over his rough skin feeling out his face, Merle had a rush of joy in his eyes. "You are incredible you know that?"

"Mm, not the first time I've heard it from a guy before," Chifuyu gave a smirk as she ruffled his hair, Merle pausing though he didn't show any hostility toward that statement. "So how many tried to confess to you then during your spring of youth and love?" He asked as Chifuyu gave him a disapproving frown as she huffed at him the light warmth of her breath touching his nose.

"Many…but I never had time for them, Ichika and the IS were all there was for me alongside my teaching degree. You understand, the competitions and eventually earning the degree for my career are all time-consuming that Ichika soon had to learn how to do the housework without me."

"But that worked out, I can't imagine your joy from having him close to your side." He commented offhandedly while he stared out at the open ocean which the man-made island was built on, scanning the concrete walled shore with occasional people stopping by to see the setting sun behind them the orange light dancing like a flame at its brightest.

'"You made that sound incestuous but I won't say anything about it, but yes…if the governments don't get to him first to put him in some lab and treat him like breeding stock, or the fact that I now have to put up with two of the most strangest individuals in my life." Chifuyu snorted while she bitterly spat out the words although she reserved the last part as a joke to soften the full impact of the stress, Merle taking it into stride giving a smile that assured her. Mentioning the reports, she recalled the stack of request to the school for Ichika to be taken out of the academy earlier this morning again attached to her by secretaries of the various embassies due to the ambassadors' unwillingness to negotiate with her face to face, Chifuyu making a mental note for the stack which will be handed to the principal to be shredded again and marked as invisible. The woman's frown disappeared as she didn't wish to dampen the mood with the thought of daily life and her monotonous routine with its stress, the woman landing a kiss on Merle's forehead as the man wrapped his hands over her neck keeping her in place when he sensed her attempting to move her head. "And where do you think you're going, you little teaser?"

Chifuyu grinned wolfishly, the woman knowing he was putting some force into his grip as she leaned closer her eyes looking deep into his own. "I wasn't going anywhere, but if you're so worried about me disappearing…" she intentionally let the sentence drift away while Merle leaned to meet her halfway, his face eager and excited while hiding behind his cheeky smirk.

"Not on my watch will you get out of my sight without me returning the favor." He stated assuredly before his mouth met hers, the quick peck was enough as he released his hold on her neck allowing Chifuyu to sit beside him the two opening their lunch and eating all the while casting their eyes to behold the large scenery. After a while, Chifuyu noticed that Merle was clutching his chest the man looking down at himself worrying the Orimura who instinctively clasped his hand with hers while they tore away from the sunset, the woman waiting until his ragged breath died away after a minute the man calming down as Chifuyu said nothing soothing his back.

"Merle, we'll get through this…we both will." She tried to assure him but Merle gave her a nod with a sorrowful smile as he stared out at the cityscape in the distant shore of concrete and metal towers the earlier mood of joy turning into tense as reality of the new situation striking his logical mind for a moment while he took out and caressed the key that hung around his neck in his fingers. "I wonder if I can make it now with death hanging around the corner as long as I don't wear this thing I didn't want, it's almost like having your entire mortality stolen from you. Sometimes I want to breathe but it doesn't let me, and I have to spend every waking moment knowing that I can and will die sooner than expected, and with you I feel everything that is despair." Chifuyu looked at him sadly while he let down his expression to reveal the same tense glance that she would see him have whenever he had an evening to himself over the past two weeks and it was then that the impact of the situation hit her as well though for her it wasn't too impactful as she had busied herself for that time. Their little trip to the hospital was simply the beginning, when they had come home Ichika had to drop another bombshell on them as they were wrestling with the fact that what Merle had on him was already slowly killing him with a letter inviting Merle to a dinner at the start of the new term in the academy in Germany with the explicit signature of Amasa's name in fine print, to make it worse he was forced to come alone as a time limit had been placed the moment he had gotten the illness.

According to the letter, it was by the end of three weeks into the new term one week during the school festival by which Amasa promised to put in incentive than his life to join, but what that meant they couldn't tell. Merle himself continued to hide the fact that he wasn't from this world from Chifuyu, instead giving half-assed answers which had annoyed the hell out of her for sure all the while doing a bad job out of it. He knew that Chifuyu was trying to extract answers from him that could shed light on what was going on but to be honest he was scared, not for himself but for her as there were times that he wished he knew what was going on in the world even though he knew the path wouldn't be opened so easily. The path that led him here required him to die to see the new road and to be told that he would be taken away again, from her and from everyone here made him frightened and felt alone despite Amasa's sister speaking to him that she knew exactly what was going on.

He couldn't bring himself to say it, even with the natural courage and charisma that gained the attention of others it was only to give advice however when he tried to speak the truth he stumbled and it never catches on. What would he look to Chifuyu in spite of the things he had been subjected to and her understanding of him, would it be enough? Why was he even doubtful? She trusted him, and he trusted her wholeheartedly but not enough to let one story slip? He was aware the obvious choice was to speak, but was it really the right thing to do?

"But we'll find Amasa and get him to talk." Chifuyu replied as she looked at Merle in the eye Merle almost about to lower his head down in extreme guilt for the biggest secret of them all being stashed in the banks of his memory. "The favors I called in should be able to find out if what that invitation held was true and we can form a solution from there." Merle exhaled as he bowed his head running a hand through his face as he closed his eyes, the man unable to find himself to believe what was being spoken to him as he allowed doubt to clear his optimism. "I hope so, for both of our happiness that it does work out."

"And it will, have faith in the ones I trust who will find out more about him and Phantom Task's movements." Chifuyu puffed her cheeks slightly before Merle nodded the man standing up and gestured to the exit. "Well in that case, I have a new game we can both try out that would ease us up if you'd like back at our room," Merle offered to her as the older sibling shook her head while she had a curved smile Chifuyu thumbing her back. "Much as I would like to have some fun there are some things that I need to discuss right now with the principal, but how about later when I am done?"

"I would like that, see you then." Merle watched Chifuyu smile planting a kiss on his cheek as she left the rooftop, leaving him to enjoy the sunset on his own in silence and giving him the space to think things through. Merle enjoyed the breeze that blew in his hair, the man stroking a clump that had fallen in front of his face before he turned around walking for the exit just as a memory of Amasa's sister standing outside their home before the two of them had gone inside, her solemn expression flashed in his mind's eyes.

"_From here on out, I can't ensure that you will be safe, my brother will make sure you'll play your role one way or another…and so will I. Doing nothing is a choice that neither he or I will want you to make, for many others will take the fall for you if you do but let me tell you this: your time will soon be up in this world. In the meantime I suggest you take time to think about what you want to say to Chifuyu soon, no secrets can be kept for too long."_

"…my time, will be up and she'll find out." He wondered aloud as he closed his eyes in thought. _Does that truly mean that I won't be able to achieve my goal? Do I tell her the truth about it? Does that even help change my fate at all if I tell her the reason why I would be so hard on her about this? _Without any response awaiting his questions, he turned around and walked away from the open space.

* * *

><p>Elsewhere<p>

Squall breathed heavily as she felt the wet slimy lick on her neck replaced by a soft bite, the woman gripping the wrist of a hand which was tightly ensnared between her bare legs the blonde-haired woman having a look of utter bliss while another hand made its way around her back Squall feeling the fingers going over her smooth skin bringing her to a state of joy. Letting out a moan, the leader of the factionless Phantom unit let down her usual professionalism as she felt a mouth suckle on her nipple, Squall's left hand reaching behind as she found her target after a few moments of pleasure-filled stumbling her index slipping into the woman behind her, the feeling of soft perky breasts rubbing against her for added comfort. Before the two could continue their little romp the light mood of the room was broken the moment the phone near Squall's bed began to let out a small little beep, Squall sighing in disappointment as she let the hands roam her body unwilling to break away from the embrace just yet only for the persistent three to four beeps that slowly sapped her of her distraction, Squall groaning in frustration that her needs weren't going to be fulfilled.

"Just leave it alone, Squall." The female voice behind her replied as the beeping became an earful for Squall the ruthless woman shaking her head dismissing any chances of leaving it well alone, the small kiss planted at the nape of her neck was resisted as the blonde glared menacingly at the source of her interrupted time.

"Urgh, another call this late…this better be good or else." Squall cursed under her breath when she heard the beep of the phone Squall could already feel the fingers reluctantly continuing to finger the inside of her folds at a much slower pace, the woman barely resisting the urge to moan as she clicked on the button of her phone hearing static on the other side. "Who is this? You better have a good explanation for calling me up at this late hour."

"Well that's no way to speak of an old employee of yours, is it Squall? Here I was hoping to give you a call and say hi as well as swap stories about the good old days. By the way, tell me is Autumn still sharing that bed with you after all this time…I figured she might have gotten bored with knowing just one end of the pendulum for too long." The sarcastic voice cut through the air as Squall lifted an eyebrow hiding her surprise, her hidden shock accompanied by the sudden halt of movement in her lower body as a head of orange hair joined her side the prodding of two hardened nipples against her back almost throwing Squall back into arousal as the high receded replaced by her business expression as she gave Autumn a look of apology, however the hand of her lover remained at her groin stubbornly penetrating her halfheartedly as the fingers rubbed the inside of her stimulating her already sensitive nerves. "I wasn't expecting you to call me, much less even bother to talk since you disappeared from the taskforce all those years ago."

"Oh, that was just a phase which I needed to be alone by myself, you do understand I'm sure that even the best operatives have a conscious someday along the line of the job whether they want to or not," Amasa nonchalantly stated as Squall felt her patience wear a little thin at the man's elusive talk though his quirk pretty much told her it was him, the woman rubbing her forehead touching a few dried beads of hot sweat while she gathered her lucidity and leftover cunning. "Why do you call me now? I know you aren't stupid to know that we do not allow runaways without protection."

Amasa laughed softly, as if it was amusing that he was calling the very people who were trying to kill him (which it would have been) before words replaced the momentary distraction with his intended mission. "Well, I was calling to tell you that I have a very good plan right about now that would certainly achieve the goal of Phantom Task if allowed to continue, I simply wanted to give you the information firsthand so that I can secure cooperation and your trust for this particular job."

"…" Squall allowed herself a minute of silence upon hearing that statement her decision to put the phone down being pushed aside, the woman allowing the new information to sink in closing her eyes as the inner workings of her mind ran through the possibilities of what he could mean before a tiny spark of inspiration and insight brought her some clarity Squall opening her eyes lazily preventing her drowsiness from breaking her cunning mind as she weighed the words. "I see, does this mean that you have managed to…?"

"I already have it in my possession courtesy of friends who were willing to hand the devices over to me, as well as the perfect host to channel it into fruition when the time has come. The opportunity to bring it to Germany where I am is approaching so I appreciate the fact that if you could listen, there will be two achievements Phantom Task can achieve but only when we both cooperate and give them the right push to come to find me."

"And why should I be listening to you, a man who played dead just to abandon the goals of Phantom Task just to live the life of a hermit with mental troubles?" Squall countered her voice leaking the doubt she had in his words, although this was a luring tactic for more information from the man as she already had a bit of a clear idea what that something would be as Amasa replied over the phone with a small 'tsk' the line breaking a little with the background static taking a momentary hold before the voice returned dominant over the white noise.

"I know you wouldn't forget, and I have the boxes though one of them is in another's possession." Amasa explained as Squall leaned in more interested in this plan while she motioned to Autumn to stop, the orange-haired woman blowing her lips onto Squall's bare shoulder emitting a soft burst of friction lowering Squall's defenses but her training held her mind intact as she playfully caressed the hair on Autumn's head while she replied towards Amasa who was waiting for her to connect the dots. "Do you actually mean that that man at the academy is possibly-?"

"I'll let your imagination work by itself, to be honest. I will expect that you will cooperate with me on this if you can…please." Amasa added for further effect before he hung up the line, Squall hearing the dial tone as she leaned over and pressed the record button which was next to the selection of buttons near the dialpad, Autumn seeing that her lover had already dropped out of business began to resume where they had left off before the mood was oh so ruined by Amasa's call the orange-haired woman's fingers nipping the breast of Squall before Autumn spoke up behind, the feeling for lust still existent though her voice held a venomous edge in them. "Are you sure you want to trust that man, Squall? He did after all ran away when things got too far," she suggested as she held her professional tone though even Squall didn't need to turn around to know that the hate for the man was there the woman shaking her head while she replied steadily.

"I would naturally have him killed on the spot for calling, but if what he said is true then it does mean the plan will have a slight change of direction…" Squall muttered as she ran through the choices made available to her now, the woman muttering a string of words before she turned around and pushed Autumn on her back throwing the covers over them while she placed her hands on either side of Autumn's head the woman below looking up adoringly at Squall's entrancing eyes the woman moving her knee sensually to the middle of Autumn's open legs the kneecap inching slower as the orange-haired woman gasped in surprise while Squall had a smirk on her face. "I'll deal with him once I secure his cooperation and his talent again, such a man like him is usually calm but a little desperate on the inside."

Autumn narrowed her eyes her hands folding across her chest. "And what would you have me do then, when you give him your reply?" At that question, Squall almost resisted the urge to dampen her smirk while she traced her right hand on Autumn's navel the woman below her turning red in anticipation Squall enjoying the sight of impatience from her lover, Squall moving her hand lower teasing the woman further as she stroked the inner thigh trailing it up and down watching Autumn's contrasting emotions between anticipation out of joy and frustration as she tried to move only for Squall to catch her lips silencing her whines as the two closed their eyes Squall raising her head as she moved her head to trail down Autumn's chest nibbling on the erect bud on her breast.

"All in time, for now we play along. And when he has given me everything that I need to know…" Squall left the words hanging alongside its implication just as she brought her fingers close to the link of ecstasy smiling at her lover who was inching her hips upwards hoping for the blonde to simply penetrate her. Looking at her pleadingly to finish her teasing, Autumn's lip quivered as her eyes began to water and a meek voice appealed out in a hushed whisper. "P-Please…"

Squall smirked teasingly at Autumn for only a moment, and thrusted.

* * *

><p>With Houki and Charlotte<p>

In the meantime while Rin was dragging our little hero out into the rooftop, another battle was about to take place behind closed doors.

"So then, this is it."

"Mm." Charlotte agreed as the two faced one another, the girls both staring at one another before they turned their heads to the left and right respectively in Charlotte's shared room with Laura turning to face against one another Houki holding a serious gaze almost similar to the look of focus she had when she was fighting or sparring in the dojo, while Charlotte's purple amethyst eyes were almost reluctant but held a certain degree of confidence in her hand which was twitching.

"Hey Charlotte, I'm here…hmm? What's with the large amounts of food, and what are you doing here Houki-san?" Laura asked as she walked into the dormitory room the German pilot finding herself at a loss as she stared at the two girls who didn't even bother to spare a glance while the loli shrugged when it was clear she wasn't going to get an answer from either one of them the pilot cupping her hand with a yawn as she walked past them. "I'm going to get a shower, okay Charlotte?" The blonde girl nodded not leaving her stare on Houki as Laura nodded grabbing the fatigues she had brought from the barracks back in Germany and walked over to the bathroom shutting the door oblivious to the tense atmosphere that was building between both girls as Houki looked again at the side.

"You know the outlines like we discussed right?" Houki asked as Charlotte nodded, the girl drawing a spatula from her right hand to bring it to the front of her chest the French blonde narrowing her eyes at the food stocked at the side with the stove and oven sitting still waiting to be used. Without any words to express their current feelings the girls both reached out to their own respective corners determination and focus on their minds.

"_Whoever cooks the best bento for Ichika tomorrow lunch time…"_ Houki though as she took up her kitchen knife turning around towards the counter while Charlotte glanced sideways at her opponent who was showing no mercy in her endeavor while the French girl look over the ingredients she had bought.

"_Gets to invite him out on a date,"_ Charlotte recollected as she tried to imagine her crush's delighted face when he got a chance to taste what she was going to make blissfully unaware that Houki was now chopping the cucumber she had on the board at a faster pace while an obvious shade of red came over her face the Japanese girl inching to the corner of the kitchen counter. Shaking her head, Charlotte concentrated her efforts on the cooking her moment of thought distracted her as she used an unnecessary amount of force to pierce the egg she held in her hands, the contents dropping into the bowl and her hands crushing the weak shell.

"_I won't lose to her!"_ Meanwhile while Charlotte was having her internal declaration of confidence Houki was watching Charlotte beginning to make her meal the Japanese girl shooting a competitive glare as her rivalry streak took over, Houki cutting the vegetables with more vigor.

"_Ichika, I'll make this bento the best one that you'll ever find! I won't lose out to her!"_

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, elsewhere<p>

The dark space of the workshop was illuminated with a variety of screens each filled with texts and pictures that were being perused, opened, observed and then closed altogether the lone outlined figure of a woman with barely colored pink hair with robotic bunny ears shifted up and down from the flaps, as eyes hidden behind a pair of reading glasses analyzed each text closely all the while internally processing the words.

_**Terrorists' plot to blow up the airways foiled by local warlords, shocking details revealed!**_

_**What is Jormungand? Analysts discuss whether it is possible to create a blockade in space.**_

_**Connection found between terrorists and the missile crisis.**_

As the woman read each line in the reports of both the media and government transmissions alike, the titles of the articles grew in number and anxiety written in its pages before a final title caught her eye the scrolling grinding to a halt as the bespectacled woman noted the words printed electronically with recognition at a picture of a fully armored suit in the air captured from the ground in the distance. She recalled it very well, it was the first test piloted IS that was in the middle of the disaster that started the whole mess of her project, the period where her genius was put to working on the sword that would revolutionise warfare.

_**Japan enforces IS as the security of the future! Missile disaster has sped up research into mankind's newest defense project!**_

"As I thought…it was you," Tabane Shinonono removed her reading glasses after reading the full article on the news placing the item on the table the scientist leaning forward as she cupped her forehead in her hand, Tabane scrunching the skin while she gazed over at the next news report Tabane feeling more nervous as she read more details pertaining to the incident's investigations following the two incidents, the government's private files spreading out as firewall after firewall fell to her superior hacking skills and each one opening a new can of secrets all the while storing some of the specifications of various models into a large disk drive. Eventually Tabane pushed herself away from the screens as a screen came to life in front of her as she stared at the portrait which stared back at her with an eerily familiar face almost taunting her with the image and a smile. The scientist glared at the picture of the one responsible as she clenched a fist.

"That time back then…you intended for me to finish it. But what for?" She wondered before the phone next to her rang, Tabane picking up the receiver. "Tabane Shinonono speaking, Chifuyu~chan-!"

"I told you not to call me that anymore, Tabane. Anyway I need your expertise in hacking the government files again," Chifuyu sighed as she replied over the phone, the scientist cheekily grinning as she spun herself in her chair turning away from the screen as she unconsciously withdrew the files she was looking at as if Chifuyu would pop out of nowhere in her secluded workshop. "Sure, what do you want to find out?"

"Does anyone called Anastasio Merle exist?"

End

Author's notes: it's official, things are starting to get heated up.


End file.
